SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE PRESS AGENCY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5484, 24 October 1878, Page 4

SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE PRESS AGENCY.

(From the Morning Herald, Ootohsr 17.) We feel elated at the reply of tho Hori- Mr. Fisher,, on Tuesday evening, to Mr. George McLean’s inquiry concerning the. “ special wires.” ■ It was, quite right for the Ministry, to place a special wire at the disposal of our Auckland contemporory, for is it.riot a thick-arid-thii, supporter of the,powers that be % It rifts .equally right to .refuse the use of .a special wire .-tri the ) iAgrincy. at Wellington (supplying, as- : it”, does,, a - nuiuber 'of naughty,, .independent, journals withi. news), until within a fortnight of the : close of the session.. They, cannot, complain ; ..they -should ..be.'thankful Vfor even, .small •mercies; But. what about the .“tentative arrangement” that has been made with “some parties” who intend to. formanother Press Agency Wo. confess to being very curious to learn all about it. Of course we are aware that the present Agency.;has. placed itself outside the pale of‘.Government favor. True, it is■ doiog. its business fairly well;- hutwhy should it decline to act as, Government .claqueur, t '.What a misfortune it is that everybody is not built upon the Vicar of Bray model!. We take rather kindly to this “ other Press Agency.” We wonder whether a limited; liability company has been floated.to carry-on tho undertaking; and, if so, whether Ministers have,, taken up shares. Wo , trust they have ;done so,.aa the project has much to recommend"it. ‘ In the first place, accurate reports of Parliamentary proceedings could be ensured, as asupporter of . the Government, or even one of the Ministers ,:conld he told off to . supply exactly what should appear. It would also prevent lOpposition members airing, all :over the colony, their spiteful attacks upon the Administration. It would farther prevent the creation of any undue oxciteipentat tho conduct ■of unruly or bloodthirsty natives; and the great .chiefs ;’coutd be inado to utter the most pacific and loyal ot speeches. In the second place, obnoxious-journals, and journals which might boitori closely pushing papers- in which 'members of tho Government are ahareholders, could not only be deprived ot Government advertisements, but could also be brought to their souses by stopping their telegrams, or at least by sending nows to the; Government papers a -day in advance of the others, as our : Wellington correspondent has the ill-manners to accuse' the Government of having done in tho matter of Mr; Stout's letter to Mr. Driver ou the sub-, jeet of ’“pastoral leases,’’which letter is pnb-. dished in our paper this morning, but appeared in tine Dally Times yesterday. .-n ,-i: ■■■:<. ] ■Taken altogether, we feel-bound, to oongra-. • tulato tho Government.rim its'-action in-the" “ tentative-‘-arrangement”, business ; and . v/o shall doubtless bo able to congratulate thorn still more when they think fit toshow- thoir ; hand.” ■ ! • • • ' ' : ' •' • |-J - ”