MINISIERIAL THREATS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXII, Issue 140, 22 June 1898, Page 4

MINISIERIAL THREATS.

'•^4'. ",?"' iCpEItciNG TH^jNEWSPAPBRS,? : & "CBmTUJRING BBDflqErE JOURNALS. ilWm the « Anofiand. Stir," . J«tte ''> v -^ -^6 Afc^g :■>:■• ,v> "'. .TKp'i ,'cpnMsentß made by the '•"-: "*' tyt^lton i'imes," which is a con« < ai'sterit exponent of Liberalism in :,. pplittcß, upon the Hon. J. McKen- '■■/':, reoentt'sp.eeoließ is an indioa- : ' iion><}£ ; public ' reßtiTenesa tinder Miniaterial threata anil attempted ' diotatoruhip, which the Minister of Lands and those of his colleagues who are inclined to adopt the same blnsterinjr tone will take, to heart if -they arei wise men. • • What the people of Now Zealand will chiefly reseat, however';' is the- terrorism 1 which Mr McKenzie and some of )■. bis colleagues are, endeavouring to eatabliiih over freedom of speeoh in the preßßß,hdfroto ( the platform.. It is aaW ; ex«raordinary' fact that a Liberal Government! in New Zealand has year; fkltet year prevented the parsing, of a libel law granting . tb th'e'preis oi this cpsintry the same freedom as is ,enjoyed by. the press of'Great Britain, a^d^ at the preaent moment "newspapers pi>b-« lieh the reportß of public meetings entirely at, their own risk. Going a step further, Mr" McKenzie introduced, |- into Parliament a pressmnMling'ljill, containing provisions for repressing freedom of , speech that would not be tolerated outaide of Bussia. . ' The press gag bill was greeted with sn^h universal indignation and seorn'lby.the press ol every, shade of opiniij^ tbroQghout the colony that Mr MoKefiiie'B colleagues were glad to get .it' qnietly thnffled off the Order Pftper.',' Bat this treatment merely intensified the ire of the UiaißteVjoi^^s, .who. keeps, the ' comment ojTmSibiU S|S,,a perpetual . stimujlint to his •in : hiß , crusade againm the pre'asT He rarely addresses a pjiblioomeating without making aome violent attack on the . press and, especially the' Preßß ABsooia{l6is;i The Vait nmed- oorporation is: a'combination i of v newe- - papers ipi the solepurpOße'tf getting news. ,'Rnle 4 of its instructions to agents read? as follows :— , "Telegriims;shoij}d merely record factßi'JllJJcjix^r^ssipn.pi opinion can at any,; time, be allowed, and the ntmoab' care musf be taken. to'ayoid even a suspicion of political bias or ptrtyr9e.elit^ ! 'ln v:: iny' ABSbuiition-telegramaMSvAll-tracts must ; be stated fairly and impartially. No extract^ giving the opiniouß of newsga^eifa^o'n any political,,pocartence are on any,,'a,count to be sent." Thiß^jjroyiflion; imperative Jn an asßocifttioh i supplying nawspapera represe^^D^eyery'sbade of political . opinio^r' is strictly adhered to, and any deviation from the rule; by isolated;' agents ia i promptly supprMHed v jby..ljie_manag9r.an(i direc- ■'■'■ tors, y.ihe^^airnianof the directors is tbe 1 : proprietor of a journal whioh gMinisterß have. more,. than once ,dtf|Tarea'-;has given them.; the . most rapport the Ballance and Seddon Ministries have ever f <recei»ed'iifrth'e press,. 'N^verthelesß, on ihe J Bttengtb," of two , or three -■ trumpecy telegrains, ,ftom .country . districts, ; and r beoauie...thQ rreas ABSooiation.v trne t0, ,. its ■ priuoiples, ;; deolinesitb; baNused as apolitical ■; machin'rbyonß ! ,Bideor the 'other, / It h&B'come ; ; i^nder,ihe Ministerial . ban^ ani^.is, 'accordingly to i, be : It is 'fitting' (hat a Minister of th ; JtandiD^fj; Mr Ha^l- Jones Bhould be chosen to ; voice . the: proposed meaaKe^pf Ministerial venge> ■"... *iloe /sMiiiß|V;;.the<.-pre& : Abbo- ■■;. =p^tion^{A|cOTain^ -to. the .report of a pp£ech delivered ;>at Timarn r by thisibriliiant light: in the politic - cal world, the apeaker hinted that „ ifae iP^'^sMiin/miggf.be S ! - deprived'by law of all copyright in cable inbwsi '-&tW* may illustrate this .'': inggestipn by>a Bimple'rcbin.mefcial analogy,>|/lhe ' is a ; ; V; grooenea;^ j : spends several thbttsajljgjjf .JSundß ■ «very year jn proofiring .cablegrams, , which itrfeserUß tp.r.newspapera. Tke wpjfißjjioMhinted at ; by Mr r Hall- Jonei, is that the Government .'may abo«tt^tlte«h|een hditri pieferential uae whiok^the par* .-•''■-'■' e^^»-ifiaw«!(»P«»!:iib«»wx..6f S '.this property^; Hndool»a»9 itlopen for »ny«ne ,w^l<t|hj^ fi^stly^propierty:, and . resell"; it wiWiourfiaying any- ; thing at sUv'fdr 'Watel f^ltwould „ btl just i^'h^nelf.to^plßi .an Act -groceries or any .othet.goods solil--6y other help , iheni* selves frpn|^«*|ihopß of . traders Who b»ve;;qomiß^ffder f th"e Miniiterial ban^vWeu can,; aßsuroaboih 1 : Mr McKeneip M Mf H,ll4onV P«rhamen|*yeS* A and .Bubßenient enough (goycasatsuch^ -law, they .. Would not thereby BuDpress free ; speech inth'S piesßiol'^eW Zealand • •' ?u i^ 8 , B P a H^2?M "eetvilejin . .. tneir adulation of ihe Government ; M the y^BPJß»«llt}j^xpecVpolitical . supporters to-be; .'■ ; "■ - T Another Shti^preßs ineasure pro' pOßed by Mr Mc^eh2ieW: the raising of the tariff., for .press-telegrams, -. althonghj fh>>charges for* ordirtatJ ; messages have rawntly undergone ;, .great reduciionß;.; 7 l^s'tbreat is by i -;;' no means^p, terrible as that gentle- . man seems^o imagine. It would ;. be a severe handicap .on Btrnggling -„: n ewßpapert^^Bpjsraally,; those in ■ c " nni ry d J»*^>nd ; wonld raitwi. ; ulj aid thej^big' city hewapapers ' in I;; crußbingontibe opposition of weaker ;l . rivals. The .strong papers will whatever, telegraphic news ,V they consider necessary for their /; business. It is purely a matter of ; commercial calculaßon. If Me< •^ grams are dear they will givo the r , public SO much less. Ministers hate f; complained, that they have not be^n I .; reported »t great enough lengUi -I •V wall, raiße the neftrspaper ratea and \\ newspapers will just cut ddwa they o ■• ; 80HaUed njeegre.speeohea ia ; w |>,pprti6n.,' '.•■ ""■"■-"'■■•, ' °" ikr. .The extraordhiary, feature of «, A > is this-tbat while-flov JZ % ■ Oonservat|v«i Miniats!* -I h^i»^ d Eluded ttowmWßMV'i -\**" mis illte rpßllk^l^.. - 3 M "tateßman-