NATIONAL EXPENDITURE

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1932, Page 8

NATIONAL EXPENDITURE

PRESS- MESSAGES COST. ■ ASSOCEVTIUN’-S STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, October 3. The following statement, regarding references •to the cost of Press messages, contained in the report of the - National Expenditure Commission, was made to-day by the Chairman of the* United Press Association (Sir Cecil Leys): J... The statement of the National Ex- ' penditure Commission that press telegrams cost the State £53,000 per year will, not hear examination. It is accepted that the telegraphic service is essential. In this country press messages provide the medium that prevents this need of commerce and social life from being an insupportable burden on the community. These messages are a steady source of revenue that carry overhead, chargies, which could not be greatly reduced were press messages to suddenly ctisi appear, i In four cases put of .five, the j Press message is carried over lines to a dozeni different sources, and brings to the Department 18s per 100 words, where a private message with all its difficulties of delivery realised 8s 4rl per 100 words. The Press is not liglitjly charged. The rate is three time* j the pre-war rate, and approximately , three times that charged for a similar service ini the United Kingdom, j That a knowledge of the affairs of ithe country' and its government*shqulld be the property of the people goes * without saying, and the only medium through’which this information can ve disseminated is the press, j <As regards the Imperial wireless service of -which the Commission suggests, the Press should pay half the j initial cost-, this is an Empire pub- •• licity, that would fail in its object, 1 and inevitably be discontinued were •it not that it is enabled to reach the public through the newspapers, which besides a substantial contribution to '-the cost, pay all land charges entailed in its dissemination. The criticism of the Commission in this matter in based on entirely wrong premises, and is- untenable.