A GREAT JOURNALIST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 4

A GREAT JOURNALIST.

THE.LATE'DAVID SYME. (FKOM. OUE .erECIATi CORRESPONDENT ;) ; . , , Sydney, February 15. A:unique figure,jtf Australian history'was romoved by tho death in Melbourno yesterday 'morning of Mr. David Syme, the proprietor of'the '' A'ge.'' .Tlio power wielded by Mr. Symo was roniarkablo. Ho it was who mado tlio Melbourne. (' Age," in reality foundedby his brother Mr. Ebenezer Symo, and with David Symo at its head the paper mado and unmado .Ministries..andy' political leaders, though thd'man behind it—tlio power behind the throne—'was; to many merely' a namo, a man who did not go into society, who kept aloof from his fellows, and' had only one hobby, one.pride—his paper. -;v •. Tho' making of tlio " Ago," by the way, possesses interest for Wellington people because of it-ho association wiijli tlio paper of poor Georgo -Fisher, "for' liianv years member lor Wellington. In tho fifties, when,tlio late Mr. Fisher was a lad in Melbourno, his fathor waa. qno «if ; a co-partnury gr.-tivuiiitf; uoiiipositors who bought, the " Ago from its originators', 1 two brothers named Clarkson. Tliey engaged as their editor Eboiiezor Syme, who was .a Congregational, minister, wno established tlio paper 011 a securo footing,- and beforo his death persuaded his brother, David Syme, to join'him j'aiid take over tlio " Ago " from tho copartnery'. Ho did so, and at that timo Mr. Georgo Fisher was Employed on the " Ago " as' reader, boy. •The'best character skotch 1 1. have read of Mr. David Synio appears in to-day's "Daily Telegraph." It. is admirably written, and brings tho man absolutely, before 0110's eyes. Tho writer says,'in the course of this article: "Ho had a speoial gift for organisation. Bo !was.also a remarkably' shrewd-judge of men. And ho was a particularly keen; judge of tlio class of men who woro most:useful to himself, whether in,business or in politics. .This class of men ho gathered round him. . His brother Ebenezer was for a time in Parliament. David never had a wish'to bo in Parliament. He was too sensitive of tlio extent of his powers, too wisoly cautious'of his own limitations, to challenge comparisons or to test his abilities 111 fields that might damago the infhionco which he knew he could exorciso as' a ; journalist. For years tho name of David Symo carried enormous weight in Victoria, lt was a-namo of'terror to many politicians, because at least of their belief that the support or : hostility of tho 'Ago' meant their success or their failure in Parliamentary affairs. It' is no secret miers consulted him, that lists of Ministers worn shown to him before- they were finally settled, that 11,imes were withdrawn and new names substituted because David Syme willed it,so. Some politicians he hod.so much under his control that they called lipon; hint to sceuro his; approval to their contemplated moves, to submit to him their administrative schemes, to discuss their outlines of policy,. In a court cast* oven since Federation, it was stated by tho secretary, of tho .organisation which tho 'Ago' was supporting that the list ,of candidates was handed to Sir. Syme before it was accopted and published. Under the old colonial system his influenco was immeasurably greater than, it 'has been under Federation." ;