GOVERNMENT ADVERTISEMENTS IN NON-SOCIETY PAPERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10032, 20 January 1896, Page 3

GOVERNMENT ADVERTISEMENTS IN NON-SOCIETY PAPERS.

TO TUB EDITOR, Sir,—A deputation recently waited upon the Premier in Wellington to urge that the Government would not give its advertisements to any paper published in the four provincial centres which did not work on fair society lines. The Premier received the deputation well, we are told, and naturally so, for it was an influential one; and he promised that those offices which did not conform to trade customs, uor pay the recognised rate of wage, would not receive the Government advertisements. So far very nice. _ But wait. The Auckland Typographical Association laid before the Premier (and previously before Mr. Reeves) the case of an Auckland non-society journal, the proprietors of which have repeatedly refused to work on the fair lines laid down by the Association, whose claims are recognised and worked upon by nearly every printing office in Auckland, including all tho leading firms. What was the result? The Premier replied that "the Government had come to the conclusion that it was not ft caso in which the Government should be called upon to interfere." Just so. It was all right so long as the Premier could deal in generalities; but when it came to the point of putting his promise into force, that was a different matter. It was conclusively proved to the Government that the firm in question were not conforming to trade customs nor paying the rate of wage as recoguised by the Association, and as recognised and worked upon by nearly every other office, including all the large employers of labour; and yet the Government assisted that journal to the extent of £191 in advertisements during the last financial year. This is supporting legitimate trade unionism with a vengeance, and by a Government which prates a lot about being in favour of a living wage, etc., etc., but their inconsistency in this matter is only in keeping with their whole administration. Plenty of sops to the world man, but very little practical help when the pinch comes. Bolstering up rotten financial institutions takes up most of the Government's attention nnwa-days, and the working man comes in at election time. How long wilt the working classes allow themselves to be humbugged by this sham Liberal Government ?-I am, etc., Comp,