The Dominion. SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1908. SPREADING THE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 180, 25 April 1908, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1908. SPREADING THE NEWS.

The Premier is to be commended upon liis anxiety to liave New Zealand brought-move prominently before the ]]i'ilinli public through the British Press. Loss commendable is the method by which he hopes to force this country upon the attention of Great Britain. It appears that he has come to an-arrangement with Reuter's under which the company will telegr&ph. weekly three jiews messages of,

a hundred words each to' the newspapers which take Renter's dispatches. The terms of the arrangement are not given out by the Premier, but, of course, tlie scheme amounts to the payment of a Government subsidy to .Renter to semi abroad news which the cost of unsubsidised transmission would make Reuter consider not worth -sending. We should all like to see a great deal more New Zealand news ill the British' Press; 'but 1 every journalist who has a knowledge, of the British Press Avill admit, not without a pang to his-patriotism, that that Press prints the full quantity of New Zealand news possible in the. face of the high cable rates and the insignificance of Lambton Quay to London, eyes. 4 From'the list of matters which,.it is understood, the Premier thinks proper for transmission by Reuter, it is pretty evident that the Premier is a ,politician- rather than an expert in the Press business; With reluctance we ,say it, the London .sub-editor will be.-jkinder to a'bright and interesting piece of "news" than to all the ".important statements by the head of the Government" that have been wearing' out the telegraphists of this , country, in the last few weeks. We are afraid that the money spent'by, the Government on the tri-weekly messages will be wasted.,.' If. it does, not dissolve into crumpled'flimsies" in the waste-paper baskets of .Fleet Street, .it will not do-much to catch the eye of Great "Britain. ; M. ; No' doubt tlisi. Premier has been sincere in his, insistence on ■" no bias." But, like the striker 'when-'he judges the president of the Arbitration Court, tile;-Premier, will have; lii.s own'ideas, of what, constitutes 'bias; .He has,, of' late, so frequently denounced free com;.ment as • unpatriotic comment, and truthful criticism as wicked malice, .that he.is likely to'regard as " biased'", every message that does not represent . the: Government as the ■ perfect cus.-i todian of a perfect State. ' How' long will,, the arrangement last if Reuter grows thoroughly impartial and; passionless? -The Prenjier. j sounder ground;'inP'liis. desire to reduce, the Press' cable rates. „ If- the- other partners -in the cable will > consent to reductions-similar to that which he offers, there will.be little chance of iuy: ■;news worth publication, .being "missed. As we have shown in another article, the. reduction 'of > postal, rates, and the virtual reduction of commercial cable rates have produced aan ore than compensating increase of postal and cable telegraphic business. The cable -is oiie of the best linlcs of Empire, and the, greater the facilities for a mutual knowledge, of the interests of the com-i ponent parts of the Elnpire,' the better it will be for.the growth of a sound and sympathetic, understanding all: round;