AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER CONFERENCE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8954, 21 October 1907, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER CONFERENCE.

Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, October 19. The Newspaper Pross Association Conference concluded with a gathering of 300 journalists. Among the guests were tho State Premier (tho Hon. C G-. '\Yado), the Hon. Mr Hogue, Minister for Public Instruction (himself an ex-editor), and Mr Hcnniker-Heaton, M.P. It was Mr Wade's first public function, and he marked it by promising an early alteration in the libel law. Ho said that as a practitioner in the Courts of the State he had been struck with trio-marked disability which the whole press suffered owing to the present law. Ho had heard judges point to the-unfairness of the conditions m this matter. A man might in all good faith insert statements in his paper, obtained perhaps from a public meeting, which brought him within the Defamation Act, with the rosultthat matters of public interest were printed at the risk and expense of the editor. Side by side with this came attacks by people" Avho had no character and nothing to lose, who attacked a newspaper against which they had some grudge. Such a condition of afl'airs did not occur in Great Britain, and an alteration should bo required, in justice and to keep abreast of the times. While providing against tho press becoming victims of unscrupulous persons the public were entitled to protection from those who had the power to spread slanders broadcast. A limit must be laid down, and no man allowed license with regard to falsehoods. Early next year the Government programme would contain a message to give the press the necessary relief. As to censorship of the press, it was not needed. The best censorship of tho press was their own good taste. Sooner or later' those papers which abused their privileges by making unfair comments or drawing unreasonable deductions, would bo relegated to the position of papers that could not bo relied upon.