I.—lo

6

12. What would be the wire-charges of a paper like yours, let us say, either a daily, bi-weekly, or tri-weekly—that is to say, what would you pay to the Telegraph Department in the event of your being able to get the news ? lam speaking of wire-charges only ?—I should imagine it would be about 15s. a week for a tri-weekly—that is, of course, taking the average of a thousand words. The average for a daily might be £1 10s.; but that is merely an estimate. 13. Mr. Garncross.] About a thousand ?—Yes, about that. 14. The Chairman.] Suppose you had an opportunity of joining this Association on terms that you would consider reasonable; that would provide a revenue of not less than £75 a year for telegrams—that is, of course, if your paper remained a daily ?—Yes ; or £87 10s. for a bi-weekly. 15. Then, that is what the country loses through your not being able to get the telegrams you want ?—I get telegrams now, but not so many. 16. Do you know whether the Association's telegrams are used at all?—I am afraid they are, but I ask my correspondents to send me only telegrams that are very important; these would have to be deducted from the estimate. Ido not know the average sent, but I should think it might be three or four hundred words per issue. 17. Mr. Hogg.} Is yours an evening or a morning paper?—lt is a morning paper. 18. The Chairman.] Have you been connected with papers that belonged to the Press Association ? —Yes; all the papers which I have been connected with hitherto have been connected with the Association. I think, in my experience of journalism, this is the only one that was not connected with them. 19. What has been your experience of the value of the Press Association to the smaller class of papers in condensing news so as to fit the service of that class of newspaper ? —When I went to the Poverty Bay Herald at Gisborne some twelve years ago, and afterwards at Marlborough, it was a frequent complaint with the proprietors that a great deal of matter was shoved on to them which they did not want. At Gisborne particularly we had trouble, because the charges for the telegrams were some days more than the actual revenue the proprietor was receiving from his paper. I was the editor, and did not concern myself very much with what really was the concern of the proprietor. I think that either he or I wrote to the general manager that, if he continued to send so much that we could not use, the paper must go under. 20. These were wire-charges ?—Wire-charges alone. Very great pressure had to be brought to bear before we could get the number of words reduced. It was three or four years after that I was editing the Marlborough Ex-press, when I heard great complaint from Messrs. Purness and Boundy, the proprietors, of the way that the wire-charges were pressing on them. 21. Then, you do not think that the service for that class of newspaper with which you have been connected is so perfect that it is not possible to improve it ? —I think that, having to find the money to pay wages, the smaller papers have enough to do; but the Association could do a great deal of condensation with great advantage to the smaller papers. For the bigger papers it is a service that would be hard to beat in any part of the world. 22. Then, the opinion you hold is that the Association is worked rather for the benefit of the larger papers than for the advantage of the smaller papers that are scattered through the country ? —I think that if the smaller papers had an association of their own, or had a special representative —one for the South and another for the North Island—to condense and send them news suited to their special circumstances, it would be an improvement. I should like to say that Ido not attach any blame to the management here. I do not think the staff at the head office is strong enough to condense for the smaller papers. 23. Have you had any experience, either in New Zealand or in any other colony, in connection with any system for the supplying of newspapers with telegrams other than the Press Association ?—Yes ; in Victoria I have had such experience. 24. Will you be good enough to tell us what it is ?—Some five years ago, in Victoria, we formed what we called the " Country Press Company "of Victoria. I was one of the original shareholders. We had a head office in Melbourne, and also a manager there. There was a reporter attached to it —a good all-round literary man —who supplied telegrams, or news, or a Melbourne letter, written by himself or those associated with him. I knew only one gentleman associated with this institution—Mr. Morgan. These telegrams, or news, or letters—whatever you may please to call them— are supplied without any entrance-fee whatever. 25. No entrance-fee from the papers wishing to be connected with it ?—No; by taking shares in the company you can become a member of it. You take up five shares ; on these five shares all you would have to pay is £1 155., for they are working on a paid-up capital of 7s. a share. They have no cable-service there, so far as I know, but I cannot speak definitely; I am not quite sure. But Ido not think that cables are protected in Australia. That is my impression. 26. Mr. Hogg.] Is there a monthly or a quarterly contribution to this Press Company ?—No contribution whatever. They have an advertising bureau in connection with it. In connection with it they print their own supplements ; if there are two or more papers in a town they can take one each. The company get a certain amount of advertising for this supplement; they charge for this advertising. If you want accounts collected they will collect them for you at 10 per cent. There is no quarterly or yearly subscription. 27. Must you take the supplement?— Not necessarily; but I think there was some understanding between them that they would do so. 28. As to disposing of your shares ?—When I was coming back from Australia I was allowed to transfer my shares to my successor without the slightest trouble. 29. Do they publish a balance-sheet? —Yes ; and they have paid a dividend from the beginning of about 8 per cent, to all the shareholders. No one holds less than five or more than fifty shares in the company. 30. Had you an elected management?— Yes; there is an election every six months. There have been but few changes, so great is the satisfaction that has been given.