THAT PRESS ASSOCIATION REPORT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1175, 10 July 1911, Page 6

THAT PRESS ASSOCIATION REPORT.

"FURTHER PROTESTS, A number of ouv contemporaries to hand join with us in making strong complaint agaiust tho scandalous treatment lneted.out to Mr. Mnssey and tho public by tho .Press Association in'respect of the speech delivered hero by tho Leader of tho Hcform party last Thursday evening Wo give below some extracts: — "Comment on Mr. Mnssey's great meeting at Wellington on Thursday cvouihr was impossible ycalorday (remarks tho "ManuAvatu Standard"), because of tho reraissness of tho I'rcss Association, which announced to tho Dominion in halt a dozen lines that tho Reform leader s speech was practically tho. same as that delivered at Hasting. Such a cursory dismissal of ono of tho most, important events in tho Opposition campaign is anything but creditable to the Association. Not a. word was said to indicate that tho meeting was ono of the largest and most, enthusiastic over held in Wellington. Tho fact that Mr. Massey laid down very definitely tho Reform platform was nover mentiouod in'the messago sent out, and there was not a word about tho unusual demonstration which attended the passing of the resolution. At least tho Association might havo sent the full test of that resolution. Opposition supporters in tho country districts havo a right to know the truth about so important an event in tho history of their campaign." The "Lyttelton Times," a Ministerial journal, commenting on the matter, said: "Tho report supplied by the Press Association is so obviously inadequate, so wretchedly compiled from beginning to end, that common fairness demands that neither tho Leader of the Opposition nor his party should be judged by its halting sentences and impotent conclusions."

Mr. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, delivered' a ep'eech in Wellington last evening, remarks the "Wairarapa Daily Times." We publish in to-day's issue a report of it, abridged, after mid-day today, from the Wellington papers' report. The deliverance was ono of unusual interest ami importance, and. had time permitted, wo would have given it more space in this paper. For some reason, tho Press Association has not deemed it worth while to send out any condensation of Mr. Massey's address to the provincial newspapers, the only reference to it being contained in a small paragraph 'dispatched from Wellington somo time last evening. A combination of circumstances of which we have now no knowledge may have prevented a reasonable messago being .icnt out; but, at present, wo think we have just cause for complaint, particularly in view of the fact that wo aro constantly receiving, per Press Association, lengthy reports of utterances by peregrinating Ministers of tho Crown —reports which are of comparatively little value, which seldom refer to the policy (sic) of the party, and which few persons ever read.

, The "Christchurch News," commenting 'on tho matter, says:—

"The .splendid' success, of Mr. Ma?sey's Wellington meeting will put , new heart .into the Tanks'of the Reform party in this part of. the country, ,for it shows how the tkto of public opinion has turned, and is now running'stronsly in favour, of-the Opposition..-.Mr. Massey. has stilled for ever the gibe Hint the Opposition has no policy. In his speech last night he elaborated a. list of -reforms which will make a direct and convincing appeal to every intelligent elector. AVo publish in another column an interview .with Mr: :-G.. J. ; Anderson,, M.P., which ""ives the , policy in detail. The F.ime information should havo been forthcoming from the Pr»ss Association report of Mr. Mnssey's speech, .but for some reason if, was not, and it-would be very .interesting to know the ri'asoh why. ' ■'When the leader of the Opposition delivers an important speech' in the Canital City of the Dominion, and gets a Press Association report which compares very unfavourably with the ronort of Mr. Carroll's speech from Dunodin a few days previously, it begins, to.look, as if the Reform 'party.had to fi'elit some.exceedingly sinister influences that are not visible to the public eye..-.' Tfc is *n preat searid.il that the. principal channel for the dissemination of news ' throughout the Dominion should be open to tho suspicion of narty bias and unfairness, anil if the Association desires t" enjoy any public confidence at all. those controlling: it should _ hko drastic steps_to prevent a repetition of recent happenings." THE PUBLIC AND THE PRESS ASSOCIATION. . [To tho Editor.! ' Sir,—ln Saturday's Dominion I noticed a speech delivered by Sir J. Carroll at Christchurch, and sent per Press Association.' There .was nothing new or striking in this .'speech, and was delivered in a comparatively small'hall, which,'according to report, "was filled." Yet this speech had nearly two columns allotted by the Press Association. But when a plain man without a title or frills of any kind like Mr. Massey addresses 3000 .people in the Town Hall here, and carries with enthusiasm a most important resolution to oust the Government, and putting forward a fine policy, he is scandalously treated with a few lines by the same Association. Sir, you havo fought a great fight for »n open Court and a, judiciary free and unfettered, and for which the. people of the country are deeply grateful, but great as these evils are we aru now confronted with one as great if not greater. If that 'Association" known as tho "Press" continues to beat.one side of polities as Mr. Massey was treated after his hu"o meeting, then think of tho ; iniquitous evils the people will suffer. Sir. let me ask what is the cause of those .evils which threaten us? What subtle' influence amongst the prrss is at wook. endeavouring to shako our very foundations as a free peop e? May I surest that a pub ic meehng be called tho Town Hall to protest in a stronglv-worded reMliitipn apunst the action'of the "Press Association, and telegraphed world-wido and on record for ever? Again thankng 3011 for your services in taking up tins, and many other of the people's wrongs-services which in nij-opinion aro worthy the highest honours the country can give.—l am, etc., ">uuiry FOLLOIVER OP JOHN BALLANCE July 8, lull.