PRESS ASSOCIATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10523, 26 February 1920, Page 8

PRESS ASSOCIATION

YEAR’S OPERATIONS SATISFACTORY POSITION DISCLOSED AT ANNUAL MEETING. THE CABLE CONGESTION. The annual meeting of shareholders of the United Press Association was attended by forty members. The report of tho directors regretted that two members of the board, Mr H. Brett and the Mon, G. Carson, had been obliged to resign on account of ill-health. The former has been on the board since the establishment of tho association nearly forty years ago. Sir G. Fenwick was congratulated on his knighthood. The report explained that it was intended to hold the meeting at Akaroa but the venue was altered as, for several reasons, Akaroa was found unsuitable this year! The balance sheet showed a profit of £1748, principally owing to the lessened cost of cables, of which during '-ho year G7b,886 words were supplied. Allusion was made to prolonged congestion on the cable routes, which was not yet removed. This was owing to 'the lines during the war that could not be at once repaired, and to the heavy pressure of English Government messages to India and the East, A new feature of cable news was the offer of the Imperial news service, which Was open to all newspapers who chose to publish it, and was being supplied free of cable charges. It was mentioned that the text of the Peace Treaty, containing 13,098 words, was said to he the longest Press cable ever sent over tho wires. This had been furnished to all papers. Somo concessions had been obtained from tho Telegraph Department in New Zealand rates, which would give a certain amount of, relief, especially to the small papers. The chairman, Mr L. Blundell, delivered an address on the business of the year, which was ordered! to he printed and forwarded, to the shareholders. „ V Messrs H. Horton and W. C. Leys, were re-elected directors, Mr R- J. Gilmonr was elected in the Hon. G. Carson’s place, and Mr "W. O. Weston as representative of the provincial evening papers. 1 Wellington was selected as tho place for the nest meeting. The chairman brought up' the question of a memorial to members of the staffs of New Zealand newspapers who had fallen in the war, and on his motion the question was referred to tho Newspaper Proprietors’ Association, with a recommendation to act. At a subsequent meeting of directors Sir G. Fenwick was elected chairman.