THE YOUNGEST NEWSPAPER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3060, 3 December 1908, Page 4

THE YOUNGEST NEWSPAPER.

The famous "London Gazette," the official organ of the Imperial Government, has just furnished a quaint paradox. On the morning of October 13th it was the oldest paper in England. By a proclamation issued that night it was registered for transmission as a newspaper, and thus became the youngest. Hitherto it has gone through the post free, but the outlook for Mr Lloyd-George's next Bjdget is apparently so black that the chance of raking in a few extra paunds is seized with avidity, so subscribers who deal with news-agents are to be charged in luture for postage. The "Gazette" was first published on November 7th, 1665, in the reign of Charles 11. The issue containing the announcement that it was a newspaper was numbered 28,185. A journal, out of wnich it grew, was published "by authority" in Cromwell's time, but the title "Gazette" dates from 1665. It was first published at Oxford, as the Court was in residence there during the Plague, but when the Plague abated it was brought to London, and has ever since been published twice a week, with supplementary issues now an! then if required. These have been published at all times of the day and night. It has varied in size from one to 450 pages. In 1847, the year in which so many railway companies were promoted, so many Parliamentary notices had to be published that in one week the "Gazette'," totalled 3,000 pages. The "Gazette" has many peculiarities. It is the only paper whose advertisements are controlled by Acts of Parliament, in which numerous people are compelled by law to advertise and in which other advertisements are absolutely prohibited. It is the only paper whose statements may be accepted as conclusive evidence in a court of law. The enterprise of modern journalism has | robbed it of most of its real importance. It used to be the first to publish official war news, and London I newspapers had to wait for its ap- | pearance to secure casualty lists. Now its news is always stolen overnight by other papers, and it is the only journal which does not object to such thieving.