Press Association's Diamond Jubilee

Northern Advocate, 24 February 1940, Page 5

Press Association's Diamond Jubilee

[Per Pj-ess Association. Copyright .J ROTORUA, This Day. In an address to the diamond jubilee meeting of shareholders of the United Press Association, Ltd., the chairman of directors (Mr C. W. Earle) quoted figures showing the increase in overseas news since the early years of the association’s history. “The earliest available record of - the volume of overseas news supplied by the association is for the year 1891, when the total was 155,000 words,” said Mr Earle. Enlargement of Service “In 1910, the association’s members received 531,000 words from abroad. For 1918 the total was 800,727 words, for 1928 it was 986,873 words, for 1938 it was 1,196,945 words, and the year just concluded it was 1,416,741 words. “These figures show the extent to which the volume of overseas news made available to our members has increased. “The principal task of the association since its inception has been to supply a telegraphic service of overseas and domestic news to the press of New Zealand. “The basic principle of that service has .been that the association must be non-partisan and impartial in every respect. Partisanship Denied ' “The association has at times been charged with partisanship, but its work is on record, and a dispassionate examination of the news supplied by the association throughout its long history provides the most complete and adequate reply to any such accusation.” In a reference to the sources of the association’s overseas news, Mr Earle said that, through its connection with the Australian Associated Press the association had, in addition to its many other sources, acquired access to the news services of the Associated Press of America and its ally, the Associated Press of Great Britain. • These organisations had a staff of 2000 full-time journalists all over the world, and many thousands of parttime correspondents. Prior to the war, their annual expenditure in news gathering and distribution was. over £2,500,000, and it was safe to assume that it had increased since thenfl Directors Re-Elected The retiring directors, Mr C. Stanley Smith and Mr W. Easton, were re-elected to the board. Owing to his enlistment for military service, Mr R. D. Horton found it necessary to resign from the board of directors, and Sir Henry Horton, who retired from the board two years ago, after 30 years’ service, was appointed to fill the vacancy created. At a meeting of the directors following the shareholders’ meeting, Mr E. A. Blundell was elected chairman.