UTILITY OF PUBLICITY.

Grey River Argus, 17 July 1923, Page 4

UTILITY OF PUBLICITY.

The Kaiata Ratepayers’ Association enjoys the reputation of bein'*- a live organisation, and it certainly has given other bodies a load on several occasions regarding district progress. Instances where if. proved itself alive to local needs have been its early advocacy of a Rost Room in town, the establishment of R-owa Maternity Hospital, ami the imposition of a tyre-tax for the upkeep of country roads. At last meeting of the Association, however it seems

that some members questioned the utility of press publicity. No doub.. there was no idea of imposing a con sorship as to the Association’s meetings, but it was suggested that publicity would not always be advisable. The Association could make no greater mistake than to imagine for a moment that it could progress without press publicity. Indeed, it must be evident tn the members that the organisation would be almost impotent if its advocacy of local interests were not made widely known. The fact is that it owes most of its effectiveness to the fact that, its vi-ews have gained a circulation much wider than the district of Kaiata, through the medium of the newspapers. Moreover, it has more to lose than the press has by anything savouring of a censorship, and we doubt not that the majority of its members, if asked to pronounce upon the matter, would admit this to be the case. The Association would thus be well advised to place no limitation upon the publicity given to its activities.