THE GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.

Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4077, 21 August 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.

(" Danedin Herald," August 16.) Were the Miuisters really actuated by economical motive*, they would have endeavoured to buy at the cheapest rate, and to get the boat possible value for the country's money. Have they acted thus ? Not withstanding all their protestation* to the contrary, they have not. They have paid for their advertisements prices higher by nearly 100 per cent thsn business men pay ; prices higher by 800 per cent than some corporations piy. Let ue give an example of this. One of the papers subsidised by the Government charges for the insertion of a one-inch advertisement for the term, of a fortnight, as follows (net): — Onk Inch Advebtisement fob Twelve Jnskbxions. As a As an Aβ a As a Asa Govern- Auc- County CorGazette meat tioneer's Council poration Noti c. Notice. Notice. Notice. Notice. £2 8i \£2 3s 6d 4b 9di 12s 6s Wβ may explain here that there is one rate for a " Gazette notice," and another for a " General Government notice." What will the country say to this very economical bargun upon the part of their representative? ? Figures will not lie, and no amount of crossexamination will alter the above statement. The Government further assert that they have confined their advertising to one paper in each town, in order to save expense. This would be very well, were it not that we have it, on the authority of the Hon. W. Fox, that, in a certain place where three new»pipers are published, tbe two which support the Government are subsidized, while the Opposition paper is left out in the cold; and we doubt if this is a solitary instance. It may sef m a simple thing to a Ministry to corrupt a Prees>, and to have venal purnata to praise every act, but they are sowing a harvest of evil which will bear fruit. When it becomes known in London that a systematic corruption of the Press of the colony wae a feature of its Government, future loans will be looked at askance, and comparisons made with Greece, Honduras, or Egypt, where subsidised journals are not unknown. The Attorney-General spoke of us ai a supporter of the Government. We are ready, and do support them in measures which are beneficial, while we do not hesitate to criticise their policy fairly ; but when it comes to an approval of a politically-degrading meaxure fuch as the various acts connected with their distribution of advertising, we do not fear to condemn their action.