PRESS AND THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1920, Page 4

PRESS AND THE EMPIRE.

INFLUENCE OF THE CONFERENCES, DOMINION'S HIGH STANDARD. MORE PUBLICITY AT HOME. By Telegraph.—Press Association. . Wellington, Last Night, The Prime Minister was present at the opening of the annual conference of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association. lie was welcomed by the President of the Association (Mr. P. Selig). Mr Massey said he realised the im«: portance of a gathering of pressmeny The Press Conference of lOOfl had proved a very valuable influence !n the cultivation of sound Imperialism, and ha believed Xew Zealand journalists who attended that conference, and who subsequently wrote from an Imperial standpoint in their newspapers, had been a factor in providing the basis of the fine effort made by the Dominion during the war.

New Zealand pressmen had not much to leaYn from the pressmen of the United Kingdom. He would say, in this connection, that he did not like the idea of newspaper combinations for political purposes on the lines made familiar by the Northcliffe 'Press. It had been the boast of the men who controlled the North eliJfp Press that they could make and unmake Governments and influence the course of political life in Britain. That was not a desirable state of affairs, and not good for the Empire, It was true that the Northcliffc newspapers had done some very qood work during (ho war, particular!? during 1916, but the direction of public affairs by newspapers was not a right thing.

The cable news service from Britain to New Zealand, said Mr. Masscy, was .quite good, though occasionally it contained traces of "inspiration," but the news sent from New Zealand to Britain was inadequate in quantity and poor in quality, Often it was ludicrous. Australia was securing a great deal of publicity in the British Press through well organised channels, and Canada and New Zealand seemed left in the cold. It would be necessary, if proper publicity could not be obtained any otker way, to arrange for the dMpatch to Britain of a weekly news cablegram from New Zealand. This news could then be handed by the High Pommlilsioner to any newspapers that would publish it. There should be no political color about such a message, and be would prefer to have it sent by th* Press.