THE MAIL TELEGRAMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 316, 19 May 1869, Page 2

THE MAIL TELEGRAMS.

It is due to our readers to explain why the English mail telegrams were not published in our yesterday's issue. The explanation is simple. When, very recently, there was a break in the j mail services from Melbourne, the General Government ceaned to supply, at a certain rate, telegrams of English news to the papers. It will be rememUei'ed that the telegrams which they had previously furnished were very wretchedly compiled — brimful of errors, both of omission aud commission. Lately, wheu the mail services were renewed, the General Government again offered to supply the papers with Euglish mail telegrams at a certain rate. That offer we declined for two reasons. "We declined the Government offer, in the first place, because we think it is not their place to undertake such work, aud because, we preferred that our telegrams should come from a reliable and independent source. "We declined the offer, in the second place, because the Government did its rvork very badly on a former occasion. Arrangements had been made whereby we hoped to receive a carefully prepared telegnm from au accredited agent in Melbourne. But, as the Government messages take precedence of all others, and as the line from Hokitika was occupied by them for the whole of yesterday, of course our message could not be sent in time for last evening's publication. That is the explanation, and we may add that wo are now compelled, because the Government chooses to enter into competition with private enterprise, to accept their telegrams or to be left behind. It is for the public to say whether the Government are right in the course they have chosen to adopt against the remon- • strances of a large proportion of the newspapers in the colony. Our own opinion is, that they are very decidedly , wrong, for it is clear that they are de- ' priving the treasury of a considerable revenue whic'> would flow iv if the supply of news were left to the com- [ petition of the papers.