GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 594, 24 August 1909, Page 6

GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.

Sir,—As, an' individual I sympathise with The Dominion in its protest "against the. embargo that has been placed upon. it by Cabinet (npjwrontly) in respect of -Government advertising. As ; a taxpayer I cravo space to protest against the criminal waste of the oountry's. funds entailed, in tho existing conduct of such advertising; This is a •point, Vhiob, was not touched by you in, your spirit ' protest the. other day against tho curious discrimination tbat is. being, made against-'you. but I think you will agree with .mo that it has a.very important bearing on; the ,wh'ole /question; as well'.as. / the!' caso .stated. As. one who has .some knowledge of the-extent of tho existing ■ scandal—and I .will endeavour to show that it is a' scandal —and a, pretty accurate'idea of the actual . annual, cost of, Government advertising, >1 ■ say that, thousands of pounds, are annually waßted.in absolutely useless official notifications without the slightest warrant or justification.,- , - Take .the . advertisement on which your .oomplaint was based! It consists of-121 invitations for tenders for mail services.. The first eight relate solely to Alfrcdton. All ore alternative services. Now, I'll guarantee that any office boy ,who has the remotest ac-quaintance-with the .'art o advertising :would at, once suggest that these same tenders could each be indicated in four lines of type (instead of ; 4 inches at a cost/of, say, 165.), , and that tbe general;'notificatioii attached at; the foot .of'; tu'e., advertisement, saying that specifications could be seen at : the -principal . pi>st offices of fhe .diStricts .cohcernM would be all that would be, requjred. 'I take the case of Alfred ton, as-a typical; example"; the whole advertiseihent,:. however,. is bristling with similar; evidences of stupidity.'." Instead' of two columns of type in a daily paper, the full purpose of, the' advertisement' would ■bo achieved by the ; publication of 'a five or sixinch notification.; ,It co.Uld-be inserted in the. thiee : local dailies, and the. weeklies' too, for that, matter, and still , the. Government would bo saved an expenditure' of soino £15 (oh the actualHransactiori under notice). ■ The .present -System ;is the-curse' of Gov---efnment advertising. It is ; an: undeniable -fact,' that; Government.,advertisements '.are inserted wholesale in tho newspapers of . tho right'colour, all over ' the country, without the slightest regard, for economy,or the-pos-sible or probable ■■ usefulness of such notifications. Of course, y everybody who knows anything aboiit the subject is aware'thattho Government is' legally bound to . publish various kinds of. notifications "in a. newspa,per or newspapers circulating in the dig-, trict" affected, but my complaints is that no attempt is made at-the condensation ;of such announcements, 4 and'that the direct re- • suit vis ah<. enormous and scandalous waste jf public money.' ; -. ~ - - ', ' ' -'. Somp; time . ago. it was Announced that, a certain individual or -individuals..'had..- teen, appointed to take, charge of the-Government • advertising,, with a view to exercising a little economy.- . 'Well, judging by, the, re1 1 suits one',Would imagine thai; economy has been thrown to tho winds, and that.patronage, and! bias are the only guiding principles : recognised, in .the management' or-the buai-, ness. It. would pay; the. Government a thousand, times-over ...to. select . a man with' , a thorough knowledge of advertising aid a due ' regard for the considerationtlie GovehimentoiyesthG,unfortunate taxpayers to take charge'of .'this branch of the public! service ; arid" run it on ; business 'lines. I am certain .tliat'the, count : ry! would be, saved at least £10,000 per year, ,aiid : The Dominion would not be 1 obliged to rcriiain in the position: of:.'being : , r .th'p,,'one-/solitary' daily news-, pap'er' in'tbis cbuntTy- that', is {tinder- tfooiban, so- far. as a 'share,in . iaVconecrned. j .The Government,' in short', could afford—or .pretend— to. be /without, bias;- and every newspaper could be: treated witli a" due regard'for tho valiio of'the publicityl t«>v bp received' in i tho particular' circumstances <of ; 'eacli'.'case.. : ' Political I would be. no-ban to justice and-fair dealing. I cannot help thinking that if Tnii Dominion- took-.tins - matter-up' it - would bo I doing -a valuable public" service; while at tho same timo it would indirectly be doing a I great deal to secure a recognition of its own i rights—l am, etc:, . , ' I TAXPAYER. August 22. , .