EMPIRE PRESS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 465, 24 February 1933, Page 4

EMPIRE PRESS

THE N.Z. BRANCH CHAXRMAN REFERS TIO FURTHER IBIPOSTS ON INDUSTRY BREACHES OF PRIYILEGE "The year just ended has been one of great difficulty and anxiety for newspaper publish'ers. Notwithstanding falling revenue and, the consequent strain imposed on the resources of all offices. there has been maintained a news service of exceptional merit. In the reorganisation necessitated by existing conditions the interests of readers have received paramount consideration," stated the pa*esident, Mr. Henry Horton, in presenting the annual report of the Empire Press Union at the annual meeting held yesterday. "Since we last met, one daily newspaper, "Th'e North Otago Times," and two weeklies, "The Otago Witness" and "The Taranaki Budget" have ceased publication. "In Empire eircles features of interest have been the publication of the 50,000th issue, on September 19, of the Morning Post, and the introduction of a Roman heading and new type faces in The Times. . "Members will have perused the report of the Committee of the Council which interviewed the ehairman, director-general, and other officials . of the B.B.C. on the subject of Empire news broadcasts. The committee had pa*eviously considered th'e competitive nature of thejmoadqasts and discussed this p'hase ofHthe question with the director-general. As a result of the conference a standing committee has been set pp for th'e purpose of working in close liaison with the officials of th'e B.B.C. directing the news broadcast. "The year has seen no advance towards t'he goal of cheap Empire communication. For this existing eeonomic conditions are no doubt partly responsihle, but according' to what Sir Robert Donald said at the annual meeting of the Union, a revision of the system of control at Home is necessary„ The council will no doubt continue to seize every opportunity of stressing the vital importance of cheaper press cables. "Throughout the year the Australian section 'has issued monthly a News Letter reviewing Commonwealth and State affairs, and this, like the News Letter of the Canadian section, has been found very useful in the offices of members. "Since our last meeting Mr. C. W. Earle, C.M.G., completed 25 years a» editor-in-chief of The Dominion, and he has been the recipient of many congratulatory messages on his long and useful service to journalism. "It is a matter for regret that reference must he made to further attacks on the rights and privileges of the Press and to attempts made to exact from publishers further imposts on the burdensome charges they already have to hear. Telegraphic Rates "The National Expenditure Commfssion in its report had some critieisms and certain suggestions to offer for the levying of jadditional charges on the press of the Dominion. In a spirited and effective reply the ehairman of the United Press Association, Sir Cecil Leys, has touched on aspects of the newspaper case that officialdom is prone to ignore. Sir Cecil, among other matters, drew attention to the fact that the present telegraphic press rate is three times the pre-war and approximately three times the rate charged for a similar service in the United ICingdom; that the xevienu)e from priess telegrasms provides a medium that prevents this need of commerce and social life from becoming an insupportable burden on the country, and that a steady fiow of revenue is provided by the press charges carrying overhead that could not he greatly reduced were the press messages to suddenly cease. "Another indication of the attitude of the Postal Department is to be ofound in the retention of the high rate of postage on newspapers, despite the adjustments made in letter and parcel rates: Also in the recent decision to charge postage on newspaper 'exehanges. "Consideration for public interests has dictated much trenchant criticism of Parliament and possibly this is one reason why politicians have shown themselves to he extraordinarily sensitive. Whatever the reason, we have witnessed something like an epidemic of breach' of privilege cases in connection with which public indignation against Parliament's actions has been voiced in the editorial and news columns of the papers. "The statement of accounts of the union discloses a healthy position, and the sum of .£100 has been remitted to head office. Membership now stands at 16 with 43 associates. Two additional associates were elected at the last meeting, Messrs Ronald C. Horton, of Auckland, and Lionel C. Young, of Wanganui. Five resignations were received. "It may not he out of place to touch in this report on comments on the newspapers of New Zeaiand made by visitors and by New Zealanders who have been abroad during the year. The generous tributes paid to our press by Earl Beauchamp', Prof. R. M. Algie, Rev. Father Holbrook, and many others, remind us of our obligations to our readers. Th'ese compliimentary references can be the more valued in that there has never been a time in our history when right thinking and the development of a proper sense of responsibility were ] more necessary. The newspapers of New Zeaiand, by continuing to conform to the highest standards, are doing much to combat subversive influences, and while this unselfish regard for duty and striving for high ideals ohtains, we can look forward with confidence to the future."