COLONIAL NEWSPAPERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1904, 15 June 1892, Page 6

COLONIAL NEWSPAPERS.

Some attention has been recently bestowed upon the comparative excellence of British, Australian, and American newspapers. The Press of the United KiDgdom are, of course, the product of long and steady growth and improvement, but the Press of Australia are theresult of afewyears'establishmentin what Mr Goldwin Smith once styled (referring to Canada) a rough, raw, and democratic country. Yet the Sydney ' Herald ' or Melbourne * Argus ' is fully the equal in many respects of the London ' Times ' or • Standard.' The difficulties to be faced in Australia are much greater than they are in England. The working man is king, and expects short hours of labor with good pay, and to obtain a good newspaper for little money. Cable news also is very expensive, and has to be well sifted down for the reader's use. This, however, is probably far better than having the masß of telegraphic and undigested news which fills so many columns of the average British newspaper. Back in 1848 the ' Argus ' was a small sheet with a circulation of 625, and advertisements yielding Ll3 weekly. In 1852, when people were pouring into the colony at the rate of 10,000 a week to seek their fortunes in the goldfields, the ' Argus ' leapt at one bound into a position of almost incredible power and influence. The late Mr Westgarth stated that at that time " its circulation was superior to that of three principal London papers, the ' Daily News,' * Morning Chronicle,' and ' Morning Herald.'" It has ever since maintained a powerful position. As illustrating the contents of the papers in the three countries first referred to, the following figures, showing the columns of printed matter in one week, and compiled from an article in c Greater Britain, 1 will be interesting : — N.Y. Jlelb'ne Times. Herald. Argus. Advertisements .. ..294 145 325 Editorials .. ..30 19} 17 Other original writing IS 4 15J Parliamentary reports 70 S — Foreign news . . . . 27-J 26 21 Letters to editor .. .. 3^ 3', 7£ Commerce and shipping . . 52;,' 63A 60 Sports and athletics . . 124 20 15 General news . . 79 64 14 Local news . . 12 64 OS During the parliamentary session the 1 Argus's ' parliamentary reports average about fifty columns a week. It will be seen from this table that little Victoria, with its one million people, holds its own with the best of England and the United States. And it must be remembered, too, that Australian papers, as a rule, do not publish that immense amount of moral rottenness which too often composes the daily mental provision offered oy the American Press to its readers. They are conducted mainly on the British model ; indeed, much more so than our own, and most certainly do not lose in ability, honesty, and value by the process. — ' Toronto Exprees.'