WHEN NEWSPAPER MEN GO ON STRIKE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 130, 23 May 1908, Page 4

WHEN NEWSPAPER MEN GO ON STRIKE

One of the most extraordinary strikes of modern times wan that of the reporters of the Parliamentary debates in the Ccrinan Kcichstag. While one of the deputies, llerr (iroeber, was speak- ! ing, lie made a declaration which caused . the members of the Press gallery to ! exclaim, 'Oh! Oh!'' This led the deputy to call them a '"herd of *wine. ' | The reporters demanded an apology, 1 which the deputy refused to give, so : 1 hey left the Press gallery in a body. ■They also Mtated that they would not report another word until they received an adequate apology. This apology has now l>ecn given ami accepted. While the action of the reporters could not prevent Parliament from meeting, it bad a most serious effect, inasmuch as it prevented the members obtaining their usual "world audience, More than this, it had the effect of preventing the Imperial Chancellor from delivering an important speech reviewing Oennany's foreign relations. As a matter of fact the strike had the elleci of disorganising the Parliamentary machine of the great German Empire.

This ir, not the first strike of its kind. Thus the Pressmen of Sydney caused considerable trouble and annoyance to the members of the New South Wales Parliament. The reporter,* were very severelv criticised owing to the manner in which they reported the speeches or' a number of the members, it being stated that they took liberties with the speeches. The relations between the reporters and the members became <so sprained that the Pressmen waged a remarkable little war. The war took the form ot reporting the members' speeches exactly as they were delivered—not the slightest embellishment being given and no alterations being made. Accordingly the speech of one of the members read as follows: —

•' Press gnllervmon—the reportersought not to—the reporters ought not to bo the ones to judge of what is important—not to say what should bo loft out —hut —the member ean only judge of what is important. As T —a* my speeches—as the reports—as what I say is reported sometimes, no one—-nobody can understand from the reports—what it is—what I mean. So—it strikes me—it lias struck me certain matters — things that appear of importance—are sometimes left out—omitted. The reporters—the papers—point* are reported— f mean—to make a -brief statement —what the paper thinks of interest —is reported*" Ah may he imagined, the trouble was ve'rv settled, the journalists gaining a magnificent victory, and the mem* liem being glad to revert to the old state of affairs.