THE TALE OF THE 'TIMES'.

NZ Truth, Issue 253, 30 April 1910, Page 4

THE TALE OF THE 'TIMES'.

. WELLINGTON'S WAILER.

Some Pages of its History.

Long Sad Procession of Editors.

A Journalese Cheap Jack.

. If ever a daily newspaper with any-pre-tensions at all of being typically representative o£ the views and opinions of a* democratic community has experienced strange vicissitudes and battled with the slings ami arrows of outrageous fortune, that paper is the "New Zealand Times," the Government organ. While m this city we have a militant opposition organ, and a rail-straddling "Evening Post," the Liberal Government of New Zealand, not even m the glorious days of Digger Dick: Seddon, could count on anything like strong newspaper support m the Capital City. Where a Liberal Government wanted, and continues to want, strong journalistic support, is m the capital city, which from time immemorial has been anti-Liberal, and it is m this fact that lies the secret why such a weak, wobbling morning wailer of toe "New Zealand Times" type has always been, and continues to be, the sad-eyed shriek ' of few Zealand's petty provincial journalism. From a journalistic point of view, the history of the "JN.Z. limes" is a .series of editorial quick-changes. Managers and directors came and went. Tney appeared and disappeared as if touched by a magic wand. But the long procession of heart-broken editors was to no purpose. Tiie "Times" still remains today what it was years ago. What it is to-day, }t seems destined to remain. With its internal arrangements "Truth" docs not propose to deal. Nevertheless, m traversing the sad and sorry story of the "Times," one particular incident cannot be forgotten. "Truth" just wishes at this stage to make mention of a matinee benefit which was .a couple of years ago held m Wellington's Opera House. This benefit was m aid of a popular theatre usher, a cripple, who, as the result of maltreatment by a cowardly ruffian, was seriously injured. Every newspaper manager, even newspaper proprietors, theatrical managers, leading lawyers, doctors, business men, and citizens generally, as\sisted, and their efforts were crowned with signal success. The benefit, .as will be well remembered, was a success of successes. The proceeds from the sale of tickets sufficed to satisfy the public committee that it could set the cripple up m some business, but the public committee reckoned without the "New Zealand Times." This great daily paper had allowed the cripple, a news-vendor, unlimited credit. His name was on their books for nearly £100. "' Fancy that, a 4afly newspaper alleged to be controlled by shrewd business men, allowing a newsvendor to run up such .a huge debt for penny papers ! What was toe result '! A. charitable Wellington public, moved to compassion at the sad plight of an un-. fortunate cripple and a popular theatre usher, learned that no sooner had the financial success of the benefit been made' public, than the "New Zealand Times" instituted legal proceedings against the trustees for the recovery of its debt. What was a charitable benefit, eventually turned out to be a benefit for toe "N<jw Zealand Times." Everybody who had interested themselves m the afitair was disgusted, and since that day tteEe have been no well-organised charitable benefits m this city, simply because the voraciousness of the "N.Z. Times" has not aud never will be forgotten. Even by thus getting back "a bit of its own" through pushing a committee of prominent citizens into court and forcing them to pay to the "Times" the publieiyraised money for a disabled cripple, the morning moaner did not thrive. The policy ot quick changes m the editorial department seems to have stopped with the appointment of the present occupant of the chair. He is the gaunt,, golf-playing Pierce C. Freetfa, wfeo, m previous years, had occupied the position pi chief reporter of the morning journalistic joke. Fxeeth remains on the seeoe, and under his generalship some attempt ■has been made to galvanise some life into the rag. It still continues to be a Government organ, and it is public property tnat the money of several members of the i*un- ( istry aad a well-known; brewery and hotels owning combination has been responsible for the activity that has been displayed. With the "Dominion" offering such opposition, the "Times" having "friends at court." or, rather, having the support of the Government, it was natural - that m the long run, the "Dominion" would howl. The result of that howl is to be found m Hansard, and a comparison, m I^arliament, of the principal shareholders m each morning newspaper was interest." ing, inasmuch as it showed the reason why both morning papers are great sticklers for various sorts of vested interests. But even if the "morning wailess" were. Government and Opposition journals, neither made any way m the shape of circulation, and a paper, to be effective, needs circulation. Consequently the "Times" adopted tactics which may be pardonable m English alleged comic papers, but • which m- an alleged influential- daily journal was entirety opposed to the canons of good taste. It hit upon the scheme of instituting its footbaH guessing competitions, whien legally were questionable. Whether it received a quiet hint to drop its competitions or not, they were dropped. Next came its famous guessing competition, which was undoubtedly illegal, and for which Freeth, the managing editor, was recently fined and convicted. If anything at all, the .competition was so managed tbat it g*ve a thumping big advertisement for ope of the hotels owned by part of toe directorate. This questionable competrtaon was so conducted that its readers were lowered to the level of the racecourse tipslinger. The "Times" endeavored, by a side wind, to escape the consequences of running its illegal competition, tout the Crown could not close tte eyes to the illegality of the competition, aad the result was that both the editor aud company were convicted and fined. The strongest confession, however, of the impotence of the "Times" was when it inaugurated its Voting Contest, the final of which landed the company into more police coart proceedings, because m defiance of the municipal authorities, it committed an impudent breach of the city by-laws fon which it was fined last week. This Voting Contest humbug "Truth" exposed some time back, as a played out American newspaper dodge. It has been claimed that the "Times" has at last, through its contest, worked up a circulation, but it hardly looks like it when we find the "Times" daMy adtcrtising and begging of men and small boys to sell it on the streets. As a daily journal the "Times" is the laughing stock of educated journalists, m its hysterical efforts to rank as a newspaper, commanding some influence, the '•Time^, 11 within the last twelve months, has descended to tactics that, from every journalist, earns nothing but contempt. Tied and tangled ,up by its contract with the Press Association, it remains a mere provincial "sausage-wrap," while its policy carries no more weight than that of the "Eatanswill Gazette." At various times oue hears and reads a great deal about the respectability and cleanness of the New Zealand daily press. It is the guardian of our honor and our morals. It is the be-all and erM-all of pur national existence, and the "New' Zealand Times" occasionally adopts the role of dominee and lectures" other papers on how they should be conducted. "Truth" fears for any newspaper that has been conducted as" the "New Zealand Times" j has been.