SIR GEORGE GREY ON JOURNALISM.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 889, 15 March 1889, Page 1

SIR GEORGE GREY ON JOURNALISM.

(per press association.) Auckland, March 11. A testimonial and purse of sovereigns from numerous friends in Auckland was presented to Mr J. M. Reed, the well-known journalist, who leaves Auckland shortly for Melbourne to take up the position of editor of the Evening Standard. Captain W- H. Cclbeck presided. Sir George Grey made the presentation, and in a brief address remarked that he did not believe that any man had ever more sincerely laboured than Mr Reed to obtain justice for those whom he believed to be wronged. In the present state of the world it was, he believed, the duty of every citizen to do his best to recognise the merits of those jour, nalists who do work for the public good. In point of fact, if they considered that the

news of the world was known to us almost within a few hours after it was known to the inhabitants of those countries in which the events recorded had happened, and if they considered that a journalist had it in his power greatly to form public opinion, he thought they all might say that ability of the highest order was required for that profession, and that honesty of the very highest class was necessary, and integrity also, so that no feeling of friendship, no party feeling which he might indulge in his own heart, for particular causes must prevent the journalists from doing what is right. Those journalists who laboured to keep the public in the right, whose lives were a continued series of mental labour day by day—it seemed to him that these men occupied somewhat the position that the ancient Roman orators did in the forum, directing public opinion ; in fact, they occupied a much•'higher position, because they formed public opinion on every event that took place throughout the world. When, therefore, they parted from a man who took what he believed to be the right path in public duty let them do so with every expression of goodwill. Mr A. Bell also presented an address to Mr Reed on behalf of the Auckland Industrial Association, pointing out that he was the first journalist in Auckland to advocate Protection for local industries. In replying, Mr Reed said that during the twenty years of Ills residence in the Colony he had, as a public journalist, said many bard things as well as Borne kind things, but he trusted that the harsh words had been forgiven and forgotten.