PRESS ASSOCIATION

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXII, Issue 11346, 16 February 1934, Page 3

PRESS ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING HELD. (Per Press Association.) Hanmer, Feb. 16 In his address to shareholders at the annual meeting of the United Press Association held here to-day, the Chairman, Mr Burns, said that the services of the Association had been carried on throughout 1933 with efficiency and promptitude. The year had not been without its difficulties, but high standards had been preserved. It had been the aim of the Board to maintain the services unimpaired, while avoiding waste, and to present to the newspaper reading public, in a comprehensive, graphic and accurate manner, the news of the world. The amount of cable distributed during 1933 consisted of 1,095,308 words, an Increase of 24,562 on the amount for the previous year. The principal cause of the increase was the political and economic unrest which had spared none of the leading nations of the world.,. Discussions and developments of the gravest importance occurred, and it could be asserted that the service received in New Zealand gave a faithful and illuminating picture of the march of world-shaping events. International affairs and political and trade developments were of exceptional news interest, and they continued to excite universal. attention. The most important subjects dealt with were the World Economic Conference, the Disarmament Conference and proceedings of the League of Nations, the rise of Hitler in Germany and the occurrence of extraordinary events in that country, the Soviet and the Vickers trials, the clash between China and Japan, the political and economic situation in Ireland, and the progress of events in the Indian Empire. The United States contributed largely to the cable news in the accounts of Mr Roosevelt’s economic recovery policy, his escape from assassination, the repeal of prohibition, the banking crisis, and many other items of firstrate news interest. Air disasters, long and hazardous flights, earthquakes, floods and fires had made substantial contributions to the news columns of the Press through the cable service. , Two Antarctic expeditions, under Admiral Byrd and Mr Lincoln Ellsworth, had provided excellent reading of the adventure type. A fine spirit of co-operation distinguished the New Zealand Service, and agents were performing their duties with ability and zeal. The larger items of news had been adequately covered, and there was a feeling of confidence in newspaper offices that when news did break the Association could be trusted to give an entirely satisfactory service. An important amendment to the Law of Libel had been passed by Parliament during the 1933 session, extending privilege to the reports of inquiries held by racing tribunals, and to the findings of those tribunals. It was very desirable that newspapers should be legally protected in the proper performance of a duty which they owed to the public, and Lie passing of the Act accomplished that object.

After paying tribute to the work of the Head Office staff, Mr Burns said that there was a growing recognition of the responsibilities of proprietors and agents to member papers which was bound to operate in the direction of securing greater efficiency. The Sydney Agency of the Association had experienced a busy year, though there had been a comparative absence of the political sensationalism that distinguished 1932. He made sympathetic reference to the deaths of several gentlemen who had been prominently associated with the newspaper life of the Dominion, including in his remarks the late Mr A. McNicol (Dannevirke), Mr W. C. Cargill (Morrinsville), Mr Walter Atkin (Westport), Mr James Shand (Wellington), and Mr Hugh M. Reeves (Hororata). The sympathy of members would be extended to the bereaved families and relatives of all the gentlemen whom he had named. Mr Burns moved the adoption of the report and annual statement of accounts.