EMPIRE PRESS UNION.

Grey River Argus, 25 February 1926, Page 3

EMPIRE PRESS UNION.

NEW ZEALAND BRANCH. Annual Meeting. (Per Press As-so- ;ation.) 1)1’X Ei/’IN, r’cLiuary 21. The annua] meeiing ..»[ the New Zealand Branch of the Empire Press Union, wu# held to-day. Sir G. Fenwick (chairman) presiding. Tlie.'e were thirtysix members pi esent. Sb Geo. Fenwick, in moviiig th? adoption of the CommiLtee's report, said' the past year was a memorable one ior ill? New Zealand section of the Union, owing to the visi t made to the Dominion by the overseas delegates, when on their way to the third conference of the union, opened at Melbourne on September 29th. last. Very great interest, was centred in that v-sit, for not many of the New Zealand branch had had the opportunity of meeting the prominent newspaper men and women who mad? up the large party of delegates. He oont'inaed: Through the march of science, in its application to electric co nt men ication between th? many parts c.’ the Empire, whether it b? in the air oi by thy cables that rest upon the beds of the great seas, th? campanent parts of the Empire have been brought into closer and doser touch as the years have passed. Nor diould 1 o.mit to recognise the wonderful development of air transport within the past two or three years will make r possible ere long tor our kith and kin of the Old Land to visit us in rapid flight through space, for it ithe persona] touch of hand-in-hand the spoken words of pleasant companship, business cuscussions, and the interchange of thoughts that tell' more than anything else in consoli dating the independent interests of our widely-scattered Empire. These recurring conferences of th? Press Union are factors of great value in discr.sf'.ng questions of outstanding import bearing on the welfare of the Empire. The recent Melbourne c.ar: rcr-c-nce and the tour of th? delegates through the states of the Commonwealth did much to awaken interest in maUers of vital import to our Empire’s welfare, and, whil? th? divergent interest:; of the t)!d Land air 1 < new-caused discussions, both at flip conference and at many pubik gatherings throughout the tour, there was at the bottom a spirit of friend‘■hin stronglv in cvk'enco. and a realisation of th? fact that there mu. t i ■> p certain amount of give and take in the practical work of consolidatin', the Empire's interests. The great problem, of migration, from Great Britain to tin- Dominions and parti ctilarly to Australia, naturally became prominent in Die discussions, and while there were on one <r two occasions speeches by Austra.ians more or less pronounced in their opposition, n cannot b? questioned that there is a widespread feeling in the Commonw eallh that means must be devised to people her vast spaces, and tha t some reasonable basis of agreement on this important problem will be arrived at. So far as New Zealand is convened, any difficulties there may have been have been overcome, for there is a moderate stream of immigrants under the nominated system, and, throug'i) the agency of tli®» admirable Elock House and other schemes, that is helping to moderately increase our i opulaihon. The annual report ol the Committee pays a justly deserved tribute to the good work done by the Secretary of th? Newspaper Proprietors’ Association (Mr. J. L. Berry) in connection with the tour of the delegates through the North Island. Mr. Berry was chosen as the Honorary Secretary of the Committee which had charge of the arrangements lor the tour, and i t is a. pleasure to mew add my personal tributes to the admirable service he rendered. I wish, also, io express ny very high appreciation o! the generous assistance given by the Government Railways Board and the Tourist Department m making the tour so great a success as it undoubtedly was. Everything ran smcbthly, ; a.nd our visitors carried awa-v with ihem the pleasantest recollections of ilto Dominion and its people. The membership of our section of (he Union continues to Be well maintained, and I doubt not there will be small tn creases manifested year by year. It will be .gratifying to our members to know that Lord Burnham and his Council look upon a large New Zealand membership of the "Union as an evidence that the Press of the Dominion appreciates the good work t!i« governing body has done in securing reductions of cable rates and otherwise promoting the interests c-f the press. The watchful car? and energy of ilie Council has undoubtedly been of great service to th? press of the Empire, and I feel sure that we in New Zealand are grateful for what it has accomplished. In conclusion. I wish io endorse the Committee’s congratulations to- Sir Henry Brett on his knight

hood. It is a thoroughly well deserved honour, for he has, during the course of a long life, done much to assist in building up for the. New' Zea’and press Hie high position it has attain cd, and, in adidtion, has shown the rualiti’es c-f a public spirited citizen in the prosperous part of the Dominion m which his lot has been cast. Allhough not personally a member of the Union, there is another recipient of Imperial honours to- whom our body m : ght fittingly extend congratulations. I refer to Sir H. F. Wigram He has, too, for a great number of years been o.ie of our leading newspaper proprietors, and likewise a man of great public spirit, the air -service pT the Dominion-; ilirougli the creation

nnd equipment of the fine aerodrome «t Christchurch v. Inch bears name. ’ | I'he report and balance sheet were adopted, | I lie next general conference is to be held ill HnKlancl in Messrs ■Schg IChiistcliurch) and Do,-;,, f]-, niaru.l wer t , elected Associa e Mem . bers and Messrs Burns (Cbristcliurc-h) and M. Morris (Wellington) were elect jed full members. Sir (; co . Fenwick ; was re-elected chairman. I The animal meeting ,>( the. News|p;i|>ei I’lopnetm-s' Assc.eiaii-.n was held here to-day. Tn addition those I present at. th,. Confer,: ace <■; the l-.m-I pt>e . :c’ a .Association, the fo lowing were present:- G. C. Collins, W. J. I Blundeli. 1/ _\ BluncL.il, G, S Mr. | Aa : r. W. ( West-vy H. H Billeis, I C- Cargill, N. v'iaig, A. A. Fisher, J H. McMillan. A. F. llussel, C. C. Hush, IV. (i. Kni.ojit. Ihe follov. ing officers were elected —C- IV, Eajle President; Committee xv . <’. L-vs. W. Euston, G. C. Codlin. t* . I’lundell. .T. Ccombo. \V. (' Mestoc, A. McNicol; advertising committee.—V. Ea jton, Codlin, A. M. Burns, E. A. Blu-Mell. C ombe, R. V. J- urness: Labour Committee.— A. G. Henderson, (.’. H Dixon, Cod. lin, C S. Smith, I<. FT. Billens, P. Bund; Parliamentary Committee. Burns. L Bkinde’i, Dixon. S. H. Palmor, Jone.b; Paper Committee —-AV, C Ley?. Smith. W. J. Blundell, R. Bell. A. E. Manning, A. McNicol. AV. C Cargill; auditor, G. S. McNair. Sir | Georg? Fenwick wfts elected a life ! member. The next meeting will be held in Wellington. It was decided to sen cl trees for p.anting at Canberra, the Federal capital of the Australian Commonwealth.

r l he President »n his, address refer red to the knighting of Sir H. Bretl and outlined the campaign a?a;nsi the evils of free publicity. He also referred to the visit nf the Empire delegation as a blessing tn the profession and of groat l>erelit to both partioß, vi.sitovs aiid visited,