NEWSPAPER PROPRIETORS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8364, 26 February 1913, Page 11

NEWSPAPER PROPRIETORS

ANNUAL MEETING. RECENT AWARD CONSIDERED UNSATISFACTORY. . « Press Association. AUCixLAjMJ, February 25. The annual meeting of the News* paper Proprietors’ Association of New joaiaud was opened last evening in ,ae Chamber of Commerce. The pre..Jeut, Mr P. Sehg, of Christchurch, ooupiod the chair. The balance-sheet mowed a credit of £tO 13s 2d for the j car. in the course, of his review on the ork of the past year the president pointed out that in this, its fifteenth , car, the association could have been .aid to have entered on a new stage in is career. Since the establishment Of uuo association its membership had . -sen from tuirty-one to sixty-two, ifficli was some indication of the press .evoiopment in the Dominion. Refer,uig to the unrest among employees .a many departments, ha spoke of, the ucont Dominion award tor linotype .poraturs and jobbing compositors as smug far fiom satisfactory to employ-" .rs. in country offices especially its effect had been serious, one country proprietor having shown that •it - had .noant an increase of £250 per annum in his wage sheet. .Another matter ias the demands of journalists through the Journalists’ Institute and recently formed unions. He and other proprietors, went on Mr Selig, had no abjection to the application of the Arbitration Act, but he was sure that that brilliant journalist, Mr Pember Reeves, had no intention, when ho framed that measure for the benefit of Dominion workers, that it should .apply to other than mechanics and unskilled workers. As a general thing the professions were remunerative for those engaged in them, and ha thought that with few exceptions journalists as a whole wore not dissatisfied with the conditions ruling in New Zealand. Reference was also mada by the president to the relief given by the Government to proprietors in the matter of conveying newspapers over the railways, thus bringing rates more in line with the Australian rates'. Mr Myers, when Minister, and Mr Harries, his successor, had both admitted the reasonableness of the proprietors’ representations. Another matter for approval was tho decisions of the Ministers of Public Works and Finance to supply annual statements of their departments in advance, and it was to be hoped the Government would follow out this course in all caseswhora practicable. After dealing with a number of other matters of topical interest to newspaper proprietors Mr ' Selig: moved the adoption Of tho report, which Was carried amid applause. A number of matters arising from the report were referred to the different committees, which met before th* general meeting resumed in the Chamber of Commerce this morning. The Newspaper Proprietors' Association accepted an invitation this morning to attend the performance of the ‘' Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford” Company at Hi» Majesty’s Theatre. on Thursday night, and one from the president of the Auckland Bowling Club to visit the club's greens during the week. On Friday afternoon tho visiting delegates will be tendered a harbour excursion by tho proprietors of tho "New Zealand Herald.”