PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 395, 24 April 1908, Page 5

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

SOMETHING ABOUT JOURNALISM. Mr Elliott presided over a meeting of the Philosophical Society in the Opera House supper room last evening , when four new members were elected and oue proposed. Mr E. D. Hoben delivered an address on journalism, treating the various phenomena of journalism from the mechanical, scientific, literary, commercial, social and financial standpoints. After dealing in comparative fashion with the journals and magazines of the world Mr Hoben traced briefly the factors that had made the cheapness of today possible and the developments that were threatening to undo some ot the evolutions of the past. He traced the development of printing machinery and type-setting machinery, pointing out that the large saving in tlie heavy labonr they had effected was being to some extent nullified by the failure of those engaged in the working of the machines to realise their full possibilities, and to get all out of them that they were capable of doing, thus necessitating two machines whereever one would suffice or three where two should suffice, this applying to both type-casting and typesetting machines so far as New Zealand is concerned. Another factor was the threatened shortage in paper. He described the manner in which the making of paper from wood pulp and the fast web cylinder machines had made possible large penny papers. But the forests of Norway had been exhausted to a large extent, those of Finland had not, as had been anticipated, proved inexhaustible the American soft wood, forests had been largely cut out and Canada was doing the same with herß, so that the circulation and size of the great dailies of the world continued to rapidly increase and the demand for paper to increase out of all proportion to the supply in sight. America, Norway, France and India were replanting scientifically but it would take some time for these supplies to become available. Meantime various substitutes were proposed, including the use of sugarcane and our own swamp refuse and plants at present economically wasted. Also it was proposed to try the Nelson forests for papermaking. "Various interesting points in connection with the production of newspapers were quoted, showing the way in which each discovery of science was harnessed to the service of the press. The speaker gave an illustration of the manner in which news collecting agencies worked all over the world; reporters with the Victorian train disaster; reporters with Admiral Evans 1 fleet; men in all the capitals of Europe; and wherever there was history the makers were busy at that moment securing information which would be promptly cabled to the office of this paper in Palmerston till the dingy editorial rooms became a whispering gallery of the world's activities, all to be reproduced in next day's paper. He told how the ethergram, the electric telegraph, and the submarine cables transmitted the story of events simultaneously with their happening. Mr Hoben also showed the enormous confidence placed by the world's leaders in pressmen everywhere, and the manner in which that confidence was respected, till to-day the newspaper editor was the modem father confessor in secular affairs. Papers of standing wrote from conviction and from a high regard for the public interest or what they conceived to be so. Various other features of journalislm were referred to, including the manner in which "big" men always helped the press and "little" men often spoke slightingly of it. And he gave (several amusing instances, especially noting the local belief that the staff of a newspaper had nothing to do but answer the telephone and give away the information it had been at considerable expense to procure. Also the habit of so many people of putting their own sins on to the reporter and endeavouring to dictate to newspaper managements what they should do with their columnN and staffs. Mr H. A. Nash, editor of the Standard, also spoke, commending highly Mr Hoben's address, and referring to several points oi_ interest in it, and which ho thought it would be good for the public to know. Mr Nash, as a result of his 26 years experience of journalism in these parts, gave some very amusing incidents from the eivrly history of the "Times" and "Standard." The chairman spoke warmly of Mr Hoben's address aud thought that it had given those present a new conception and a new appreciation of journalism and what a paper stood for, and he expressed a hope that it might be published iu full.