BY AERIAL POST

Evening Star, Issue 15512, 6 June 1914, Page 7

BY AERIAL POST

A NATIONAL NEWSPAPER. TO COME WITHIN TEN YEARS. ■ "It is permitted for journalists to dream dreams and see visions," said Mr Robert Bell, of Askburton, at the presentation to Mr S. Saunders, the retiring editor of the ' Lyttelton Times,' on _Laui=day. "I have "been seeing the vision of something that I hope will come to pass in the near future, and I may tell you what it is, although you may think I have lost any sanity "that 1 used to possess. It is nothing" more nor his than the establishment of another newspaper. You will tell rae that surely we are over-papered already, but the newspaper I wish to see established —and I hope to see it in the next ten years—is a national newspaper for New Zealand." "At the present time," continued Mr Bell, "we have district newspapers and provincial newspapers, but we have never had what you would call a national newspaper. The great bar to the establishment of such a paper has been, and is, the topography of the country. New Zealand is cut in two by Cook Strait, and fast as the steamship service may be, the loss of time there would be fatal." Our great lines of communication are not yet completed, but even if they were the time taken in the delivery of a newspaper could never give it the circulation that would enable it to be called national. But a new transport service has come into existence^ —aerial transport. Ten years ago aerial transport was in its inJfency. To-duy in different parts of the world they are carrying mail matter and even passengers by aeroplane, and the time must come I when all our postal,and mail matter will be carried by aeroplane. Supposing a national newspaper were established in Christchurch, it is quite within reason to think that within a few hours it could be delivered to the in the North and the grain-growers ot Southland. " It will 06 asked What do I mean by a national newspaper t A national newspaper must be above taking part in party politics, and the sooner many public que* tiona are removed from party politics the better. Amongst these questions 1 might mention the naval policy, the settlement of the land, finance, education, and immigration. All of them should be taken from the scope of party politics and be placed upon a permanent tooting, aw.iy from the caprice of any Mi '*try. A national newspaper should be neither parochial n%.r provincial in its jhar cter. It should, in fact, deal tnly with these thirgs that affect the general welfar of the whole of the people, without favoring persons, parties, or classes. "1 trust that he-3 today there may be some young and oudVing Northcliffe, who will take up tbis -lea and push it to its issue, and no doubt in the course of time ho will ha»e his reward and become one cf the lo*is of th* Fourth Estate in New Zealand."