EMPIRE PRESS UNION

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21805, 10 June 1936, Page 11

EMPIRE PRESS UNION

♦ -j CONFERENCE OPENS IN P i LONDON | 11 ' j i DOMINION NEWS IN BRITAIN 3 j DISCUSSED ! j| I I s. LONDON, June 8. | 1 1 Major J. J. Astor opened the Em- j 2 j pire Press Union Conference. ! | In outlining the agenda he said; 3 1 that the discussions on censorship j 1 and libel would be held in private, j ? i Sir Keith Murdoch, managing di- j rector of the Melbourne “Herald,” jin opening the debate on Empire ’ | press communications paid a tribute 2 ] to the British press, but he re--21 gretted that Dominion news was 1 1 inadequately covered. He asked 2 j whether it was due to the difficulty of making overseas events rank as ■ news, or the difficulty of arousing the British public to take an in- } terest in the big issues and person- ■ alities of the Britain overseas. He 1 added that the cost of getting news had an important bearing on the ■ issue. The present scale of cable f j and wireless charges was excessive j ’ and repressive. The world was not I getting the advantages of the mven- ■ tion of wireless, which should have 1: brought an important advance. At (present a rationed supply and heavy r i transmission charges were imposed ■ jon Dominion newspapers. ■ | The Secretary for the Dominions 1 j (Mr Malcolm Mac Donald) em"lphasised the complete and final; 1 | freedom of the Dominions. Thej I great ‘problem now was how to; ■ i maintain a unity of purpose and j ! | harmony of action. The time was; Nripe to create new practices and; ; j forms consistent with the constitu- j 'jtional positions of the Dominions; ■ to-day. ‘ | Delegates criticised the excessive, ’ | Imperial newspaper postage and I supported the reductions which had ' been suggested to the Postmaster-. General. The conference resolved to seek. ; an inter-imperial fiat rate of a: penny per lb for newspaper postage. ! i It was also decided to request the; 'Prime Minister (Mr Stanley Bald-j win) to receive a deputation in; favour of cheaper cable and wireless I press rates, and to urge the over- j seas section to request their Gov- i , emments to reduce the terminal) and internal transm'ssion charges. \ | The Postmaster-General (Mr G. C. I ITryon) assured the conference that j the Post Office was doing its utmost, to give Empire communications with i the highest efficiency at the lowest; ; possible rates. !