THE PRESS ASSOCIATION.

Hastings Standard, Issue 97, 18 August 1896, Page 2

THE PRESS ASSOCIATION.

"We are indebted to our Napier col-res-pondent for the correction of an "error in our columns last evening when we stated that the Evening News received the full privileges from the Press Association for £BS0 —£800 was the amount—also to the same source for the information that the entrance fee for the previous Hastings paper was only £IOO. Of course it might be as well to add that when the latter charge was made Hastings was not such a hunting-field for the Napier Telegraph and that Mr E. W. Knowles was not Chairman of Directors. As the person in question has not dared to contradict any of our statements of Saturday last, we will let a little more light into his actions by stating that Mr Knowles had the audacity to propose to our representative that if he started a paper at Te Aute instead of Hastings the charge for entrance would not beso large, as it would be outside a radius of twenty miles from Napier. We have the authority of the member for Hawke's Bay for stating that Parliament can do nothing in the matter ; but we take leave to doubt that statement, inasmuch as if the privileges which are granted by the State were withdrawn the Association would not live twenty-four hours.

Had we started at Te Aute we would have been admitted for less than £500! Great Heavens, and this is called a free country !