The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 450, 9 January 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 1869.

Aftkr the present issue, the Westport Ttxtus will be considerably enlarged in size, and, instead of being published daily, will be published, in its enlarged form, three times a week—on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The proposed enlargement will be equal to the addition of ni>te column's of the present size to each publication. The paper will, in fact, be similar in size to the papers which are published in Nelson, Greymouth. and Hokitika, and the -alteration is made in the confident hope that, in that form, it will be found not inferior to these journals in other respects thau that of mere size. A much larger space than is at present available will be occupied by reading matter, and while subscribers will thereby have a more satisfactory news-sheet placed before them, advertisers will have the advantage of an undoubtedly increased cireulatimi of each number, and of a better display of their announcements than is possible in a sheet of the .present limited dimensions. The alteration contemplated has iteen resolved upon by the proprietors

solely with the view of producing a more presentable newspaper, which shall continue to satisfy the requirements of the .district as fully as any smaller daily issue. The mere saving in expense will be very slight indeed 5 —so slight as to he of very trifling consideration. But, in commuuicating interest and character to the contents of the paper, it is expected that a considerable advantage will he gained. AVith the comparatively limited staff which a district like this can only maintain, and with the casual communication which at present exists between Westport and other parts of the colony, a daily issue can only be produced in a very crude form, as little satisfactory to the compiler as it may be to the reader. It naturally canuot bear comparison with such papers as those of Nelson and Greymouth, for example. In such instances time is afforded for the proper selection of news, or for the dispassionate discussion of any topics which may arise; and, however favorable our opinion may be of the prosperity and of the public intelligence of our own immediate district, we are sure that our readers will agree with us in thinking that, if a tri-weekly journal is considered sufficient for such a district as that of Greymouth, or bi-weeklies for a city like Nelson, such a publication is fully sufficient for the interests or requirements of Westport. In fact, only in three towns in the Middle Island Dunedin, Christchurch, and Hokitika—are daily morning papers published, and the original issue of such a journal here was only adopted, and then adopted unsuccessfully, to forestall a threatened competition. Having every faith in the future of the Buller district, we do not despair of yet seeing a full-sized daily paper published in Westport, but it is evident that the time for that enterprise has not yet come.

For a few publications we must bespeak the consideration of our readers, if there may be deficiencies in slight technical details, due to delays in the receipt of "headings," "rules," and similar items. Otherwise, we trust that the alteration will be found not an alteration merely, but the initiation of au obvious improvement.