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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5490, 31 October 1878, Page 2

Mb. Fox brought the Press Ageucv job again under tho uotico of the House of Representatives yesterday. We record the fact with regret that the motion, “’Chat the engagement 11 entered into witli the Otago Daily Times , Lyttelton Times, and Auckland Herald shall be suspended till the machinery of the Telegraph Department shall be in a condition to extend equal privileges, if required, to all journal aud Press Agencies iu the colony,” was rejected by a considerable majority. A more gross job baa never been perpetrated by any Government in their own interests, and for their own party purposes, than this. A concession valued, by tho permanent head of the Telegraph Department, Dr. Lemon, at moro than three thousand pounds a year, has been made to journalistic supporters of Sir George Grey, in order that tho existing Press Agency, described as a monopoly, may be crushed, aud another monopoly, under thePremi r’a control, established at the cost of the public, aud to tho great injury of tho public Press throughout tho colony. The stories which were current in the lobbies yesterday regarding the stops which the Government had taken to silence the complaint and soothe the irritation of tho evening journals who support them, and whose interests were overlooked in the arrangement with tho “ 110" ” are almost too scandalous to bo credited ; although we are constrained to believe them, we hesitate, at present, to give them currency until the damning proofs can he produced at the same time. This we shall be able very soon to do. As Major Atkinson remarked yesterday, the simple Telegraph Commissioner, Mr. Fisher, who appears to have been the tool of his chief in this business, was spared tho task of attempting to defend that for which no excuse can bo found even in the exigencies of a weak aud thoroughly corrupt Government.