EMPIRE PRESS UNION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3806, 22 February 1927, Page 8

EMPIRE PRESS UNION.

NEW ZEALAND BRANCH. WELLINGTON. February 16. The annual meeting of t.he New Zealand branch of the Empire Press Union was held to-day. Sir George Fenwick (chairman) presided, and there was a large attendance of members. ■ In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, Sir George said that in June last the annual meeting of the Empire. Press Union was held in Lonclon, and naturally the doings of the third Imperial Press Conference, held in Melbourne in the preceding September, and the grand tour which the delegates made, were the subject of congratulatory remarks by Lord Burnham, who in the course of his speech# when moving the adoption of the annual report, said the union had in its three great gatherings in England, Canada, and Australia respectively completed the cycle of Imperia] press conferences —in itself a remarkable achievement —an event of no mean importance, not alone to the newspaper press, but, he thoroughly believed, to the whole of the Imperial organisation. He did not think Lord Burnham claimed too much, for the Empire Press Union had undoubtedly become a noteworthy factor ; in the discussion of-.varied and vital Empire questions, and its intelligent and energetic work was recognised in high places. Originally, he thought it could not be questioned, its main purpose was to bring the newspaper press of our scattered Empire into closer relationship so that . our common business interests

might be more intelligently and effectively dealt with. Sir George spoke of the efforts of the president and council of the union in securing reductions in the heavy cable charges, which resulted in great benefit to the press of Great Britain and all parts of the Empire, and in a great extension and improvement in the services of world news furnished by the press of Australia and New Zealand. ■ Apart from the aspect of the advantages overseas pressmen derived from’ their membership in the union, there was the ■ gratifying knowledge that they were members of a body which had taken a full and intelligent share in the consideration and discussion of matters of great moment to the Empire. It was men of the stamp of Lord Burnham, Sir Robert Donald, Major Astor, Lord Astley, and others —level-headed men of the world, with a facility for absorbing information and coming to sound conclusions in matters of public welfare—who were entitled to attention at the hands of the Empire’s rulers. Sir George went on to speak of the work of their own particular branch of the union during the past year. In July last ceremonials in connection with the capital city of the Commonwealth led to a suggestion that the New Zealand branch of the union should be iepresented in a grand avenue of trees that was being planted to commemorate the foundation of the city. The committee fell in with the suggestion, and with the co-operation of the curators of the Dunedin city reserves, several of our native trees were sent to Canberra. The total number of full members of the branch was 13 and associate members 52. This was a strength in membership of which they had reason to be oroud. Since the olose of the year, however, the New

Zealand Times Company had (alien out of membership consequent on the Times ceasing publication through the sale of th» company’s business to the Wellington Publishing Company. It had not been without sincere regret that many of them had seen the demise of a newspaper .whose existence had covered so long a period in New Zealand’s history, including a change ,of name from the Wellington Independent to the New Zealand Times, as 61 years. Its somewhat chequered career for a good many years past made it obvious that recovery to a sound financial position was unlikely, and the close of its career was, therefore, not a matter of surprise to those who realised that Wellington could not support two morning newspapers. It was with sincere and deep regret that he referred to the death of Sir Henry Brett Sir Henry was one oi the foremost and ablest journalists in New Zealand, more or less intimately known to all of the union’s members.. He was present at the birth of the Empire Pres* Union in London in 1909. and he had remained a member of the committee of the New Zealand branch until his death. The death of Mr Copping also occurred during the year, and he also would be missed at the annual meetings, which he regularly attended. In conclusion, Sir George said that he had seen New Zealand journalism gaow from the modest position it occupied in the ’sixties and ’seventies of last century until it had to-day reached a level of excellence that had called forth the bestowal of high encomiums from influential personages ni the newspaper world of Great Britain and of other distinguished visitors to the .Dominion. His own persona] connection with the New Zealand press was of a long lifetime, for -it was in 1859 that, as; a small boy, he embarked on newspaper-life. ■ He

had occupied the position of chairman of the Empire Press Union’s New Zealand branch for over 17 years, and it was with genuine regret that he had intended to ask the members not to re-el6ct him this year. He had, however, been strongly urged by some of his colleagues not to retire at this meeting. If, therefore, it was their wish that he should hold office for another year, he would do so, and it would give time for members to consider whom they desired to succeed him. After the annual report had been adopted, tho meeting passed a vote of condolence with the family of the "tate Sir 'Tenry Brett. Messrs Selig and Horton spoke warmly f the interest taken by the Homo members of the union in visiting members from overseas and of the good effect the recent conference in Australia had produced. Mr G. C. Codlin was elected an associate member, Sir George Fenwick was reelected chairman, and the same committee was re-elected, with the substitution of Mr C. S. Smith and Mr W. Blundell for Dr Scholefield and the late Sir Henry Brett. The other officers were re-elected.