PRESS ASSOCIATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 50, 28 February 1918, Page 5

PRESS ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. (United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 27.. The annual meeting of shareholders of the United Press Association washeld Ithis afternoon. (Mr F. Firapi,; chairman, presiding.. Thirty-four mem-, bers were present.. j i.v .The annual report mentioned the. deaths of (Messrs Gothai-d and Gardnery proprietors of the Westport Times and. Rotorua Chronicle respectively, and of Messrs Cocks and .Marshall, members of the staff. Mr Marshall was recently; killed at the front. During the year--654,054 words of original cables had been supplied to subscribers. These were drawn from the two great cable services now forwarding news to this, side of the world, hence it had been frequently remarked by visitors' that New Zealand papers gave a better cable service than any paper in. Australia. The Press Association is able to do this! by subscribing to both services: The removal of the Eastern Extension .Company from Wakapuaka to Wellington had not brought about the improvement in transmission expected, for reasons outside New Zealand. The";, diaj- s fovery and removal of these obstacles had taken some searching, but a great improvement had been effected, though there was still more delay at times'than was desirable. A further alteration was likely" to Tse made in the system of handling messages by the Pacific Cable in New Zealand, which would improve delivery and save time. Allusion was made to the possibility of the Telegraph Department's having to ,cur> tail the hours of atetndance at niglit, in consequence of the reduction in its staff, which would have the effect, of reducing the amount of hews that could be transmitted, but would, not affect cables. The department, however, had assured, the directors that nothing would be done till it was positively forced upon it in consequence of conditions 'brought about by /3ie war. Several papers had had to suspend: publication, and the.number now on the books of the association was 71. \TMessrs L. Blundell (Wellington) and ■P. Selig (Christchurch) were v re-elected directors unopposed, and Mr F. Shaw as auditor. ■ ! The report and balance-shoot was adopted without discussion. The chairman's address was ordered to be printed and 1 circulated. Wellington was selected for the next place of meeting.