COUNTRY PRESS PROTESTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15321, 17 September 1920, Page 6

COUNTRY PRESS PROTESTS.

./ :.— -«r :■'. •■■ ■ The fallowing is a copy of a telegram sent, to Mr. Massey by the secretary of the, Otago and Soutfjland Country-P ress Association protesting against the re-Cent lUO per cent, .increase m newspaper postage*,— "On behalf of the Otago and Southland Country Press Association, re- ; presenting .18 "papers and emptying 70 hands, I respectfully pititest against exce.**sive increasO proposed post and teleY phone rates. Ihe charge^ will impose lieavy tax on country residents, and tend to make life m country less attractive and, more costly. The increase by 100 per cent, on °<newspapei* postage is- a violent blow to country newspapers, and will fall almost directly ort» proprietors of- -country papers. The recent excessive rfte m the cost of paper and recent substantial awards to employees have al- J ready made conditions to country news- 1 ; paper proprietor* irksome and unprofit- j able. The. limit has been reached of the j increase that can be passed on to the. j public. The new proposed rates frill result m large city papers utilising motor j services, discarding the Post Office, and j delivering papers without charging cliont9 increase. Country papers cannot therefore oompete "against this practice, And while compelled to use the Post Office are penalised with double postage. The country press is a great factor m stimulating a love for country life, and is essential m creating the lever that maikes fori equalisation 1 of town and country. The increased telephone rates and 1 shortened distances are again oppressive on country residents, and will tend to largely diminish th© use of the telephone, to. the danger of prosperity and happinesa of B^-lv country dwellers. Do try and extend the minimum distance to 25 . miles, and modify telephone rating .if ' within the range of possibility. Whole proposals tend towards driving people f romS the country to the town.'" i Replies have been, received from the Prime Minister and from the PostmasterGeneral, but both were unsatisfactory, { >■ H mi— i mmmmmmmm J