NEWSPAPERS OF THE FUTURE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 5, 6 July 1928, Page 5

NEWSPAPERS OF THE FUTURE

r MA JOE ASTOK'S VISION. The Newspaper Sosicty, Avbiob represents tho Press of'the United Kingdom, with the exception"'of the London daily and Sunday newspapers, held its annual dinner recently, at the Hotel Cecil, under the chairmanship of the president, Mr. J. S. King, director of the "West Middlesex Gazette." The toast of the society was proposed by Major J. J. Astor, M.P., who recalled that the organisation was born in the rather remote days of William IV., when newspapers wore trying to free themselves from repressive taxation, and when newspapers were such "stodgy" productions that they deserved taxation. Papers had been made gradually brighter with pictures, competitions, and crpsswbrd puzzles, and the modern news, service had rcach.ed such a pitch of perfection that the: only improvement seemed to lie in giving an account of events before tliey happened. The public had at last discovered tlia-t it was perfectly, respectable', .and' probably very profitable, to advertise. Throughout tho long and honourable existence of the society the profession of journalism had risen in dignity and emolument. Hqw far, asked Major Astor, -was this brigtheuing likely to go? It had been said that science was on the side of big circulation, and any new invention or discovery was bound to affect so-sensitive, an instrument as a modem newspaper. Already photographs were .telegraphed from one place to another, and presently it might be that the | printed matter might be telegraphed in such a way that to impress itself on. tho metal at a distant station, so'that they might be able, from a headquarters office, to print simultaneously in different purts of the country. (Cheers.) The chairman, replying, said that a lot was heard about industrial peace. But industrial peace could only bfi achieved when the workpeople were assured a reasonable standard of living, continuous employment, and proper provision for old age. Those wore the three- main props of the temple of industrial peace". In' the newspaper world they had gone a long way towards establishing those three'props; Tho provincial Press, he.'Continued, feared no fair competition. They were told that great things would como of the evening newspapers to be established in the. provinces. Fair competition from these would not be a subject of complaint—fair competition as distinct from competition based on finance. The best safeguard for British democracy was tho continued existence, unfettered ajid independent,of organised public opinion. That was assured by the continuance of tho provincial Press: (Cheers.)