THE KING AND NEWSPAPER "SCOOPS."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 32, 27 January 1908, Page 4

THE KING AND NEWSPAPER "SCOOPS."

IHJVV IiUVEK-MIKNT SECKEXS SOilX. TIMES LEAK OCX.

due King admires legitimate ente: prise on the part 01 newspapers; and :u alt things with which he is concerned he eases ine work ot journalists, llitheilo, it was the custom in the case i>i ouihday honour* to send to the Press merely a bald list oi the names of those wiio received peerages, barouetu.-, knighthoods, anu honours; and their Hlcniinuitiou was a most laborious and harassing task to tue newspaper oltic;-. lint the last birthday-list issued to ihv t'ress contained, by command of Ui» il is jesiy, brief biographical sketches of the recipient* of tnese honours. Tuu King, however, naturally loots witn disfavour on what are known in Press circles an " scoops " in Stale alfaiis —the exclusive possession by one newspaper oi some important piece of uiluiuiation, unscrupulously vuuiued, perhap-, which is published Willi all '.he emphasis oi big type and headings. I heutmost precauuous are taken lo preseive his correspondence inviolable, lm uie.iiatel)l that His Majesty leaves bisludy a tooJideutiai secretary goes carciiiily through, the room, collects all scrape oX £aucr, tlw wrappers of newspapers, the tog sheet of the blottingpad, anil destroys them before a servant ■s allowed to enter. This precaution is also taken after a

Cabinet meeting, Sir Algernon \\ <■■,:, who wae grivate secretary to .Mr. Ulad- , stone, relates that it was hi-, custom to go into the council chamber iuiuitJiul' > after Uia meeting ami destroy every slip ot writing-paper, which, wight be Kit upon the table. But it was -.eldoin th it he found anything of value, lor 11 >-. contrary to etiquette for Miuistci-, to lake notes at these councils. J lie Lord Chancellor recently said ,t was wonderful to him that important documents which came from departments or weie used in the Cabinet were nut more often disclosed. But, ae a matter of tact, secret and confidential paperare rigoroasly confined to the knowledge 01 the higher permanent officials of tue depar,tm»ats; and they are sent round to Ministers in a locked uox, to which each member of the Cabinet poesesse-. a mala key, Cabinet .Ministers are bound to sceriry by oath. In dealing with paper, ut a most confidential character they are not permitted to avail theius*lv - of the services even ot their private sec-

rcUric-,. ilcnry iaweett, wiio wi-I'u-t master-General under IjTadstuue, was excluded from the Cabinet because, owning to his blindness, he would have had to u,e the eyes of another in reading thew secret documents.

The late Sir Wemyss lieid, who was Lundon correspondent of the •• U-.J? Mercury " for many years, disclosed how tlH' newspapers olleu obtain exclusive and important politk-al news. The Secretary to the Admiralty in Cludstono , first Administration was Mr. K. Baxter. He was attacked in the lloiue- it Cuinuioiirj for some matter in connection with hi, department, ami Keid wrote a detente of him iu his 1/in.ion letter. ...

plea-e.l uas the Minister with the paM. graph that he sought out the juiirnaii-t

and invited him to "call at the Admiralty regularly, when lie would keep him iifiirnied ~f his work ot ieorg.ini-.iti .11 and retonu in the department. Thruiigh -Mr. " liaxt.i."' save 'ii Weinvss Ueid, "f -iiddenly fouiid'my- It in a position that enabled me to provide the Leeds Mercury" with |K,liti,al and Idniiuistrativo new- that v\a- not 011 '\ of the hhtllert illiport.l l„e. l,Ut tll.lt had not apiieared anywhere eUe. For Mr. Baxter vius letter tliau hi- word. Wlen I went, as I did -everal lime- a v.e.A to -•■ him at the Admiralty, he u..t I.IIU told me all that via- <m in hi- o-..'i de|«iilni,iit. but all th.it'eoul.l b- ...1!, li-hed with regard to the pi.«e, dune- ■•: the i.overiiinent 11- a whole."' There have, been, now and then. ,\- ampb's id indi-eietion *r Kol»-it And-i-oii. >,l„, via- f.„ -,.,.,. year- t'liiet 01 the Criminal liii.-ii.. tioll l»ep.irtllK-'llt. -late- thai he re tiall> gave the name of .11. ! • lorin. r to the late l.„id M.n tioli«! ii otilv to th,. l.oid i.i Ireland a- the t;,,, m.-iv -it:in : . after dinner at the \'ieero»,il 1.e.. IhiMin: but a -f.rv.iut who wa- ~,n •:. ei| behind a -<rwn c.inie.l the iiiiormiri.m to the hej.l.ptaiter- ..f the Tenia 1-. and when the iinmiiiei le.telied X .v Vork he w,i, murdered.