THE LONDON SPECTATOR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 January 1926, Page 10

THE LONDON SPECTATOR.

A CHANGE OF CONTROL

An announcement was recently made in the London Times of a change in the proprietorship of The Spectator, sir St. Loe Stracliey having disposed of the control to Mr Evelyn YVrench, who has been a director of tire paper for some years and has been managing director since January 1, 1925, and to his father (51 r Frederick S. F rench), for many years a Commissioner of the Irish Estates Commission. Mr Philip Agnew has also taken a holding in the company, while Mi- Stracliey retains a substantial interest, and will continue to contribute regularly. Air J. B. Atkins, who has been assistant editor of ihe Spectator for many years, and acted as editor during part of the war, when str Stracliey was suffering from ill health, has been appointed editor. There wi'l be no change in the policy of 'The Spectator, which will continue to bp independent in outlook. The Times also stated that the proprietors of The Spectator propose to follow the example of The Times in formulating a scheme for the purpose of safeguarding future transfers of the controlling shares —the object being to ensure, so far as possible, tliat the ownership of The Spectator shall never be regarded as a 'iiei'g matter ot commerce to be transferred, without regard to any further circumstances, to tjie highest bidder, or to fall, so far as ran he foreseen, into unworthy hands.

The Spectator wil] celebrate its centenary in 1928. It. was founded by Robert Stephen Rintou 1 , the versatile journalist who first established its form and character. Bintool’s reign lasted for 30 years, from 1828 to 1858, when it was succeeded by the well-known and most remarkable joint editorship ot Meredith Townsend and Richard Holt Hutton ; and it was under these two that Mr St Loe Stracliey learnt the business which lie finally acquired in turn just forty years later than they.