Untitled

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 9, 3 September 1874, Page 2

Although as Journalists we, in corny , mon with others, feel an. aversion to ; indulge.in matters of a personal nature, '"'•< we believe it will not be considered out I-:-of place to. make a veiy few remarks with reference to the progress nnde by, and present position pf^ the Clutha Leader. When it was determined to establish a Journal in this district "two months ago, the promise to subscribers was that it should be a four-pa ge paper, and with this one and all expressed themselves as satiisfied. It was "ndjt our intention, however, as it was not our desire that it should long be continued at tbat size, but our aim being' to make the Leadbh a commercial as well* as "'a';, literary success, prudence demanded ' that a certain amount of caution should; be. exercised till the extent of support it was likely to meet with at the hands of the public had been ascertained. Our determination, therefore, was to be : guided in the matter, of size by th« encouragement accorded to our enterprise, instead of four pages, as originally agreed upon, We, at a, considerable increased expense, give our readers six p.!<_;es weekly, and although so, short a time in existence, we humbly submit that both as regards size and print the Li.ADEit compares favorably with most country journals published in the Colony. *#t'may possibly have escaped the notice . o." many readers that each page of the Leadeii contains seven columns of small, closely printed type, thus affording reading matter almost equal to that ' given in a paper of eight pages, with only six columns of large type. Jt must also be patent, to all that the establishment of a paper in this district has been most favorably regarded by advertisers here, as well as elsewhere, and who have extended to it a very hearty support. We mention these matters now, not certainly in a spirit of boasting, but more out of gratitude, and in order to .how our appreciation of the support which has spontaneously been given us. We say spontaneously, because no ex-. traorriinary means have ever been em** ployed by us to secure that "support, whioh must thus be regarded as more genuine and permanent than in othejr circumstances it could he. We are wej{ aware that other improvements are ret quired than those already effected upon the Leader ; -but all such shall have attention without unnecessary delay. 1 , In the meantime we have only to say to our reader?! that no reasonable effort .will be wanting on our part to supply them with a good Weekly Family Journal • and Advertisers we can assure that through these columns they have a very extensive and valuable publicity given to their announcements in the various towns and agricultural districts between the M'ataura and Dunedin.