A GREAT JOURNALIST

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11437, 6 February 1923, Page 3

A GREAT JOURNALIST

DEATH OF SIR EDAIUND ROBBINS. English papers record the death of Sir Edmund Bobbins, K.8.E., which took place at Bognor. in his 76th year, after a long illness following an operation. The name of Sir .Edmund Hobbina, as administrative head of the PressAssociation, will always be associated with the ertormous development in the distribution of news achieved in this country during the past 50 years. Altogether, he spent nearly 60 years in journalism, ana for 47i years was act' ively associated with the Press Association, for 37 years as its manager, a position from which he retired in 1917. ' Sir Edmund was the second 6on ot Air Richard Robbins, of Launceston, Cornwall, where he was born on April 4th, 1847. He served an apprenticeship on the “Launceston Weekly News,” and came to London in 1865. He joined first the Central Press, and cn the formation of the Press Association in 1870 was appointed to the sub-editorial staff of the organisation, in the moulding of whose destiny he was to play so leading and decisive a part. " Air Robbins later became secretary of the Newspaper Society, an office he held for eleven years, and during the war secretary of the committee set up to deal with relations between the Government and the Press, for his ser- 1 vices in connection with which a ' knighthood of the British Empire was conferred.

Sir Edmund was greatly instrumental in- securing from the Post Office and other departments reforms and concessions to the benefit of the Press as a whole, and the ness with which he upheld the principles of accuracy and impartiality in the working of his own organisation counted not a little in the building up of the reputation the British Press holds for the integrity of its reports of public affairs.

His eldest surviving son, Mr H. C. Robbins, now_fills the position of joint general manager t>f the Press Association.