EMPIRE PRESS UNION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 149, 9 June 1936, Page 7

EMPIRE PRESS UNION

Excessive Cable and Radio Tariffs MOVE FOR REDUCTION (Received 9, 11 a.tn.) LONDON, June 8. Viscount Astor opened the Empire Press Union Conference, and in outlining the agenda he said that the discussions on censorship and libel should bi held in private. Sir Keith Murdoch (Australia), opening the debate on Empire Press com munications, paid a tribute to the British Press, but regretted that Dominion news was inadequately covered. He asked whether it was due to the difficulty in making overseas events rank as news, or the difficulty in areas iug the British public to take an interest in big issues and personalities in Britain overseas. He added that the cost of getting news had an important bearing on the issue. Tho present scales of cable and wireless charges were excessive and repressive. The world was not getting the advantages of the invention of wireless, whim should have brought important advances. A rationed supply and heavy transmission charges were imposed on Dominion newspapers. Mr Malcolm Macdonald stressed tin complete and final freedom of the Dominions. The great problem was how tu maintain unity of purpose and harmony of action. Tho time was ripo to create' new practices and forms consistent with the constitutional position of the Dominions. Delegates criticised tho excessive Imperial newspaper postage, and supported reductions which had been suggested to the Postmaster-General. The conference resolved to seek an inter-im-perial flat rate of a penny a pound for newspaper postage, and to request Mr Stanley Baldwin, tho Prime Minister, to receive a deputation in favour of cheaper cable and wireless press rates. Delegates also decided to urge the overseas sections to request their Governments to reduce the terminal internal transmission charges.