The Daily News. MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1912. ANONYMOUS JOURNALISM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 66, 5 August 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1912. ANONYMOUS JOURNALISM.

Tin* debate in the Hou.se of Representatives on | Thursday night was not a very illuminating contribution to the vexed question of whether during times of political turmoil all articles and letters ■appearing in the newspapers should be signed with the names of the writers. The discussion, indeed, developed practically into a criticism, of tlie manners and methods of a Wellington journal, and it was neither edifying nor instructive. With the merits or demerits of that particular journal we are not concerned, but we can easily understand that many disappointed politicians, smarting under public criticism, are desirous of knowing exactly to whom they owe their castigation. But these members 6eem to forget, in their eagerness .to retaliate, thut they possess the privilege of Parliamentary protection in their utterances which is not extended to the newspaper world, and if they have any legitimate exception to take against anything that is written of them in the press tVv have a civil remedy for the incivility. We do not suppose for one motaent that any responsible editor in the Dominion would care that negligible quantity, "a tinker's curse/' if the law insisted that all articles in his paper "should bp signed at certain periods. But lie would be met with the initial difficulty, that he would, upon occasion, find some trouble in properly allocating the: responsibility. In most newspaper offices the leading matter is generally the result of a conference between the editor and his leader writer, and a 9 a consequence most of the articles are the result of collaboration. Politics and politicians owe a good deal to the Press, and here in New Zealand we have admittedly a newspaper Press that is second to none in the world in realising its responsibilities and dignity of the profession. The suggestion, of course, comes from Australia, where, however, politics'are a good deal more strenuous and personal than they are in New Zealand. The signed article is a vogue at ITome in many of the weekly papers which deal with specific subjects, where the name of thrt writer often carries as much weight as the article itself, but tin: daily Press has so far not .sought to adopt the system, and there has been lio general public outcry for it. Neither luu> there been .such a demand in New Zealand, and Mr. TTindniarsh's Bill appeals to be simply the outcome of unfori.unali' personal experiences. Tim averajv ]x<litii-ian nf ;\nv dignily can Well ;i :i'. Is I t'l :!v eril ieisms ol

ovci -1«, I) i!i,. iihuikls of legitimate eomiiiciilary. ami it is mil piling l.n help him in the slight ("it if the article is sicrned liv John .Tones or Ezekicl Kitzjri'ralil. Tl. will he simplicity itself .should (he Hill ever reach the Statute Book to drive a coach and horses through it, and in the meantime Parliament would he much better occupied in attending to business in which the

country is more immediately and intimately concerned. This sort of political squeamishness is purely resentful and of no public concern save to an irresponsible few.