ABOUT THE "TIMES."

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 148, 25 November 1913, Page 1

ABOUT THE "TIMES."

FIRST EDITORIAL OFFICE

ITS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENTSOME INTERESTING PHOTOGRAPHS. THE OLD AND THE NEW.

The first isme of the " Pukekohe and Waiuku Tim- s " was published on March Bth, 19 i2, only twenty months ago. In our first issue we said: "It will le at once admitted that the establishment of a newspaper in any locality is a mark of progress —an outward and vi-ible sign of advancement. Good newspapers can only be successfully conducted in diiti icts which can ade-

quately support them; and tha stability and brightness of a district i.s not infrequently judge! by the appearance aud value of its newspaper. To be without a newspaper is to bo speechless Until now a big and important district, of which Pukekohe is the natu-.al centre, has been in rticulato. With this i>su !of the ' Pukekohe and \Va : uku Times ' we pin pose giving this district a Voice." . . We think wo may justly c.aim that the voice of the "Times" has been heard to the advantage of the whole distiict. That our paper has been and is appreciated has been shown by the constantly-incicasir g number of our subscribers aud advertisers. On previous occasions have reviewed the remarkable developments that have taken place thioughout this district sinco the "Times" was established; to-day we take the opportunity of saying something about the expansion of tho paper itself. Although our circulation in tho immediate vicinity is complete, the fact remains that only a small proportion of our readers livo in this immediate neighbourhood, and to those who have 110 acquaintance with the town of Pukekohe we have reason to believe that tho photographs which accompany this article will be of especial inteV-e-t. The progress that the " Times " has mado is merely typical of the advance which has taken place over the^countryside.

of the paper, if placed on end, represented 53!) inches of space occi'.ple 1. From March Bth, 1912, the paper was issued once a week, but ihree months later, on June 10th, we enlarged the paper to double royal sizo. The change meant eight columns to the page, or a columnlength of 712 inches, which repres nted a large'v-increased space. But the nead for still further expansion came rapidly, and a little over three months afterwards the "Times" was issued twice a week, the weekly space thus being increased to 1422 inches. Si ill the requirements of the business demanded more news and advertising room, and on April 20ih, 1013, each column of the paper was lengthened, making 32 inches of additional room per issue, or a total space of 1488 inches per week. So that counting

tho inch column spice per week the size of the "Times" has giown as follows. —

Inches, March Bth, Ul2 53!) June, 10th, 1012 712 October Ist, 1012 1422 April 29th, 1013 1188

In view of these figures \,and taking into consideration tho very serious difficulty with which we were faced iu establishing an enterprise which a great many people prophesied would prove epheunral) we think wo may claim to have given

FINDING QUARTERS. AYlien wo first came to Pukekohe our gravest difficulty was to fiud quarters. Suitable premises were not to be had upon any terms. So we had to take the bei-t wo could get. The first editorial office was the unpretentious whare on Mr Dell's section between Hamsav's aud Bartrom's, in King-street. It was both inconvenient and incommodious but we nevertheless esteemed ourselves fortunate in being able to rent it. The first mechahical office, also in King-street next to Hawke's, was even more unsuitable and we remember with gratitudo the cheerful readiness with which our staff worked under depressing circum stances. We could accommodate both these buildings n our present preniscs several times over. Iu the next move that was made the working conditions were vastly improved, for we then occupied the shop just previously vacated by Mr Webster, on the corner of King and Ilall streets, ojiposite the Bank of Now Zealand. With about 1200 square feet of floorage the otlice appcirod spacious, but within a month it bocame obvious that still bigger premises must bo sought. As such a place as we required was not available we decided to build, and having purchased a quarter-acre section in Hall-street, immediately behind the post office, the erection of the commodious and comfortable offices we now occupy was proceeded with. (Continued on Paoe 2.)

FIRST MECHANICAL OFFICE

SECOND: COMMERCIAL AND MECHANICAL.

BIRTH AND GROWTH. Tho first issue of the "Times" was printed in double dtmy form. It then had soven columns to the page and the twenty-eight columns

back to the people every increas 0 and improvement which the business justified. Tho "Times" is not, of course, at the end of its expansion yet. It is only beginning to grow.