The New Zealand Tim

Manawatu Herald, 13 February 1894, Page 2

The New Zealand Tim

The above excellent journal is never at a loss to point out the short-comings of its contemporaries, so that it assumed a virtue which, from recent events, it appears it had not. A few short days ago it treated its readers with a wonderful account of the manner in which that issue of the paper had been printed by electricity, that the system had only been adopted for their readers convenience and that it was the first paper south of the Equator ever so printed. There was a natural surprise at the Times waking up to anything and its friends began to cherish a hope some other changes might follow. Now we are cast down in despair as Fair Play very positively states the " The Tvnes tells another crammer " the statement about the electricity was a " Journalistic deception," thafc Messrs McKee and Gamble first adopted electricity as a motive power. To prove its assertion Fair Play proprietors are prepared to pay £1000 to anyone who can prove that the whole issue of the Times, of February 2nd was printed by electric power. " It remarks "if the proprietors of the Times fail to accept this challenge, they stand convicted of a deliberate attempt to deceive the public." No doubt the challenge will be taken up and the New Zealand Times having put its own house right with the public will then have time aguin to devote to putting other people's hon^s right. If Fair Play is correct, for which we have only their statement, the Times made a noble attempt to print by electricity by using a motor of one^half horse power 1 It will be remembered that in the interesting account of the enterprise of the Times Company, mention was made that a larger motor was expected from England, but the size of the one in use was never stated. Fair Play mentions one other little fact very awkward for the Times to explain away, "The^e electric motors are driven by a current g -nf rated by steam power at th* hemlq'iai't^rs of the New Zealand Electrical Syndicate, who supply the town wit-h; light. The ompMiiv on fhe momr ing in question stopped their engines a t 1.30. The principal part <f the Times was printed between 2 and 4 o'clock ! So much for the 'limes 1 smartness ' ! "