EMPIRE PRESS UNION

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1930, Page 7

EMPIRE PRESS UNION

ANNUAL REPORT. The annual meeting of the Empire Press Union (New Zealand Section, will be held at Mount Cook on Friday evening next. The twentieth annual report states that the committee have, with profound regret, to record the death during the year of its chairman, Sir George Fenwick, who was one ol the original members, and instrumental in bringing into existence this section oi the Empire Press Union, which followed on the return of the New Zealand delegates from the first Imperial Press Conference held in London in June, 1609. Sir George was appointed chairman of the New Zealand Section at the first meeting of members held at Queenstown on February 24th, 1911, and held the position throughout the succeeding years up to the date of his death, which took place after a short illness at Dunedin on September 23rd, 1929. Sir George was an enthusiastic supporter of the aims and objects of the Empire Press Union—the maintaining throughout the Empire of the best facilities that are possible for the publication of news and intelligence—and it is due to his onergv that the New Zealand Section occupies its present satisfactory position with respect to the state of its membership. Sir George had reached the advanced age oif 82 years, and had won for himself a high place in the regard of newspaper men throughout the world. He was unable to attend tbe second Imperial Conference, held in Canada, in 1920. but he was one of the New Zealand delegates to the other two Conferences, and on each of these occasions was selected as chairman of the delegation. He was eagerly look- : ng forward to taking part in the approaching “coming-of-age” of the Empire Press Union in June, 1930. and until practically within a few days of his death was directing the arrangements for the representation from New Zealand. Sir George warn opo of the few remaining men who could go back 'from the present properous days of our well-established newspapers to the struggling period of their existence more than 60 years ago, and his familiar figure will be greatly missed at the meetings of members in the future. Letters of condolence were received from the Australian and Canadian Sections of the Union and also from the London Executive. The committee also recoro with regret the death of two other members, Mr F. H. Kilgour, manager of the Greymouth “Evening Star,” and Air A. H. Grinling, of the “Otago Daily Times,” both of whom supported the Union as associate members for several years.

Since the last meeting of members the principal activities of the Committee have been directed towards the selection of delegates in response to the invitation from the Home Council for a delegation from New Zealand of 12 members and their wives to be present at the Fourth Imperial Press Conference to be held in London during June next, and the following gentlemen were selected: — Messrs W. It. Wilson (“New Zealand Herald”), E A. Blundell (“Evening Post”), James Hutchinson (“Otago Daily Times”), It. J. Gilmour (“Southland Times”), It. B. Bell (“Timaru Post”), A. L. Muir (“Poverty Bay Herald”) It. P. Furness (“Marlborough Express”), T. C. List (“Taranaki News”) ■A. E. Manning (“Waikato Times”) A. McNicol (“Dannevirke News”), E. G. Kerr (“Timaru Herald”). and L. J. Berry (Secretary of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of New Zealand). The Conference promises to be one of the most remarkable and memorable in the annals oi the Union, and those who have been selected to represent this section should worthily uphold ,the prestige and honour of New Zealand newspapers. The delegation will leave New Zealand by the Niagara on April Bth and after touring Canada, will depart from Montreal on May Ifith by the Duchess of York. Canadian Pressmen are making arrangements for the enentertainment of the delegates ,in conjunction with Canadian Pacific Railway Co., which is providing free transit across the Dominion and- also 'for several side trips.

Apart from the doings of the New Zealand Section of the Union, which are necessarily restricted, the main interest of members centres in the work of the Council in London. This latter body lias again shown itself watchful and alert ’during the year, the principal item from the point of view of members being the effect of the changes upon Press message rates. The Imperial Wireless and Cable Conference decided on unified control of both services by the formation of a Communications Cdmnany to take over practically the whole -system of Imperial communications, cable and wireless alike. These far-reaching changes as regards Press message rates and facilities are I'ullv expected to bring about a reduction of rates made possible l.hrough lower costs of unified administration. Sir Robert Donald, who presided at the annual meeting, hailed the wireless merger as a triumph for the 'biion. and pointed that Empire

communications had been the main mission of the Empire Press Union from its inception.