DOMINION PRESS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1932, Page 2

DOMINION PRESS

GREAT INFLUENCE FOR GOOD. GRACEFUL COMPLIMENT PAID. CHRISTCHURCH, September 22. :“I can l honestly And willingly endorse any compliment paid to the newspapers of. New Zealand,” was the graceful tribute paid to Dominion journalism' by the Count de Bafflet Latour, head of t'he Olympic Federation, at a dinner given in liis honour last evening. Tha matter was brought up by Mr R. •HI. ■ '(Gaouterbury Boxing Association), who, in commenting on boxing in Chrietchureh and the progress made with the amateur sport, ■spoke in high terms of the work of local journalists. “In all branches of sport,” said Mr Livingstone, “the sporting . writers of the local newspapers help materially in the work of promoting a better spirit and better standard. That is because they have aH been in the games themselves;, and write honestly and with knowledge. That, inspires those who are iin authority to react to publicity, and it helps the public to get a true idea of the sport.” - “I am glad to hear those remarks,” said the Count, “for it bears out my own experience. “I have been interviewed a good many times since I have beeh in New Zealand, and 1 always find, when I look at the paper, that it is what I have said that appears in print, and that if I hate -aid anything silly I have only myself to blame. That does not always hapo.ii in other countries. They write what they would like you to say rather than wWfc- you isay.” The Count sad that the -newspapers could, and should exvt a •;mnenuou s irufluenee (for good in. «y v >'»rt. Sometimes, in other cb'untrjo*, f her,, were sad evidences of undue parochialism and a desire to utiv un strife for sensational purposes rather than to work for the good of snort. “I have been amazed at the number of papers in such a relatively small country,” the Count said. f'Wherever I have been , .even in sina I '] towns, .there have always 'been a morning .and an evening paper, and good ones at that.”