ELECTORAL LAW

Northern Advocate, 19 June 1926, Page 3

ELECTORAL LAW

SIGNED ARTICLES. ' STRONGLY CONDEMNED. MELBOURNE, This Day. Further evidence on the questions of electoral procedure and the compulsory signing of newspaper articles at election time was taken by the Federal joint committee of the electoral law and procedure. Mr A. C. 0. Holtz, general manager of the “Argus,” and chairman of the Australian Newspapers Conference, said that 15 years experience had shown that the use of the writers’ names on articles of a political character "had achieved nothing of any value. Especially had it been valueless in showing what individual was responsible for the opinion expressed. The newspaper must be regarded as a mouthpiece, not of an individual, but of opinions definitely laid down after mature consideration. In every newspaper of standing there was a council which directed the policy of the paper. It was considered also that the compulsory signing of articles was misleading as conveying to the reader’s mind a personal responsibility which, in fact, did not exist. The individual who signed the article, in fact, might not be fully in accord with it. He was responsible for the phraseology, but this also was subject to editorial revision. The paper, and

not the man, was responsible for what was said.

“Wo consider,” said Mr Holtz, “that the purpose for which the provision was originally designed, that is to identify the man responsible for the views expressed, has not been fulfilled. It is misleading to the public. It is embarrassing to the conduct of

:i responsible newspaper, and it is un- j fair to tbc individual writer. 1 j know that this is the opinion of all • the principal newspapers in the Com- • nionwealth, and the Australian Jour- j nalists’ Association feels that it has aj distinct grievance in regard to this | matter'” I