SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3737, 11 May 1899, Page 4

SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS.

Bishops, legislators and general public in London-are reported to be in a state of excitement because of the proposal made to issue Sunday editions of two leading metropolitan . journals. - There may be in the minds of the clerical agitators against the innovation an. idea that, the Sunday newspaper is an give- movement specially designed to undermine the already, rprecarjous influence of the pulpit. These gentlemen cannot oppose the issue of Sunday newspapers

on the ground that it, would involve a breach of t he !w against working on the first day of ’..no week. They must be perfectly well awaro that it is the Monday morning paper, and not the Sunday paper, winch involves a certain amount of Sunday labour. The conscientious of those who object on that account, bo read the Monday paper are deserving of respect; but as the Sunday paper is usually printed on the previous day, there is no reason to object to it on Sabbatarian grounds. It will doubtless be found that the agitation against the Sunday “Telegraph" and “Mail” is based upon the presumed encroachment upon the weekly day of rest. With that contention the great bulk of tho people will agree, despite tho assurance that one, of the journals is to bo produced by, an entirely separate staff of workers, sc that no person shall be asked to work *;oven days in tho week. A pledge of that sort, though it may bo made in good faith, is certain ere long to he broken. In San Francisco, and other cities where Sunday editions of daily papers are issued, the practical result ifUnit the employees have to work seven days a week. That this is socially and economically bad, is so apparent, that the practice uf issuing Sunday papers may well bo condemned by tho masses of the people, quite apart from religious sentiment* On tho other hand,, the newspaper has come to be recognised as. an essential part of modern life, and to many people tho absence of tho morning journal on Sundays is a real deprivation'. Those people, however, have generally the, sense to perceive that tho introduction of Sunday journalism would bo the, war-' rwnt and sanction of all other kinds of’ Sunday working and trading. . Already, there are many thousands of people mmployed in civilised lands every day of tile week; this too, when there is a redundance of workers, and when'a sound economy would dictate a reduction in the. days of labour. The tendency tc increase tho volume of Sunday toil should therefore be strenuously resisted by tho working'masses and by all who have their' welfare at heart. . .Public opinion. ir; England, will, of course, settle the question of the Sunday newspaper, 1 since legislation cannot be expected to affect it. If there is a body of readers suffi-, oient to maintain tho Sunday papers, the innovation will succeed;, if not, it must fail. The fact that such journals shpukl bo projected is a' symptom of sx disquieting kind to those, who know how essential to industrial excellence is the weekly rest which religion, law, an’cV custom have prescribea for the workers. / ,