NEWSPAPERS AND ADVERTISEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 305, 23 December 1903, Page 5

NEWSPAPERS AND ADVERTISEMENTS.

AN IMPORTANT DECISION. (Received 7.40 a.m.) LONDON, December 22. Mr. Justice Kennedy, at the King's Bench, decided that the rejection of advertisements by newspaper proprietors, on the ground that they contained a misstatement of fact, was justifiable.

MR. BALFOUR AND THE TAX ON FOOD. The Australian Elections and Preference. (Received 9.7 a.m.) LONDON, December 22. Lord George Hamilton, replying to the Conservative Association's resolution, urging the support of Mr. Balfour, declines to compromise himself, and declares that ilr. Balfour is willing to tax food if Mr. Chamberlain is able to cajole the constituencies into a transient acquiesence in the principle. The "Daily News" says that the Australian elections have given a fatal blow to Mr. Chamberlain's policy of preference. It is clear that the Australian outlook is not towards Imperialism at all. The "St. James' Gazette" . says that the suggestion made by Sir Geo. Clarke, late Governor of Victoria, that a onehalf per cent, tax on foreign goods should be applied to the promotion of British maritime commercial interests is a good one if it is practicable, but that it does not go far enough.

REPLY FROM MR. DEAKIN.

(Received 10.35 a.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. Mr. Deakin. Federal Premier, commenting on the English criticisms on the elections, says that the statement that the elections had gone against Mr. Chamberlain was erroneous. His policy was supported by the Ministerial party, by a large majority of the Labour party, and by an influential minority of the Opposition. The criticisms showed that there was scope for the education of leading English papers on questions of Australian politics.