Newspaper’s 75th Anniversary

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIV, Issue 6104, 19 September 1947, Page 5

Newspaper’s 75th Anniversary

“THE BAY OF PLENTY TIMES”

LINKS WITH CAMBRIDGE fl We join with many who will have since September 4, offered hearty congratulations to the “Bay of Plenty Times” on'its completion of 75 years service t,o the people of Tauranga and the whole of the Bay of Plenty. It is a record of which the stalwarts of the newspaper over the long years—proprietor, advertiser or subscriber — must be rightly proud; and one that will be a great incentive to the existing members of the company and staff to fully maintain.

The “Times” is rather unique in that for about half its life-time it has served under the one ownership. The company, which now controls the paper, was founded in 1929 by the late W. H. Gifford, who bought the business from the late J. H. Clayton •in 1913. Among the distinguished men who directed the policy of the “Times” before it passed to the existing company were Edward Ker Mulgan, afterwards C|iief Inspector of Schools; George Vesey Stewart, “to whom,” states the “Times,” is due the credit of founding the Katikati and Te Puke districts; Colonel G. Arnold Ward, a prominent citizen in the early days of Tauranga; William Elliot, later a well known Auckland businessman; and James Henry Clayton, the founder of many country newspapers in the North Island.

It would be surely expected that the “Times” has had its successes and its trials and tribulations over threequarters of a century. It has, however, survived, where a number of opposition journals lasted for much shorter periods. Actually it is the sole survivor of 16 newspaper enterprises in that favoured district.

Today the “Times” can . rightly claim its place among the provincial dailies of the country. This seven eolum,n paper is the product of a newspaper staff of 22, while the company also has a commercial printing staff of 7; it also goes to the subscribers from a modern "printing plant, including a Cossar newspaper press and modern linotypes. The “Times” celebrated its 75th anniversary with a special supplement. This detailed the records of the “Times” and it also embraced some informative and interesting history of the. Bay of Plenty. Link With Cambridge

As we mentioned at the outset “The Bay of Plenty Times” has links with earlier days and with the comparatively recent years of Cambridge. The oldest serving employee of the “Times” is Mr Percy. Kingdon, who will complete 36 years next month. Mr Kingdon, who was born in Cornwall, came to New Zealand as a boy of four in the late ’seventies, his parents settling in Cambridge. After leaving school, he was apprenticed to the late J. S. Bond, then a printer* but afterwards founder of the original “Cambridge Advocate” and later owner of the “Waikato Times,” at Hamilton. For many years Mr Kingdon was on the staff of “The Waikato Independent,” and later he was at Hamilton and Whangarei. In 1911 he went to Taulanga with the late Havelock Green and Mr Arthur ’Reese, both of whom were associated with the earlier history of the “Waikato Independent.” Mr Reese is. now on the staff of the “Waikato Times.”

The present editor of the “Bay of Plenty Times” is Mr C. W. Vennell, who was formerly editor-manager of “The Independent,” then administered by C. W. Vennell & Co., Ltd. During the war Mr Vennell joined the forces and served in the army until he was appointed to his present position.