The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1880

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 648, 20 December 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1880

Orjß contemporary, the Standard, running Amuck at the Bank of New Zealand, says:—" Newspaper men—and newspaper men aloue—are aware of .the wise prudence newspaper proprietors.evince in eliminating anything from their columns calculated to offend '•The Bank ;" or diluting to a tenuity almost imperceptible any strictures which they may be induced to puhlish on the conduct of our largest banking institution, Some proprietors, wise in. their generation, refuse admission in their columns to anything bearing upon the Bank of New Zealand, except of a laudatory character, and candidly admit the fact, Those. who transgress are sometimes told, it is said, to- be more guarded in their statements; to exercise a more rigid censorship over what they insert; others, it,is stated, are advised to leave politics altogether alone. It would ■ appear from these assertions that that the Bank of New Zealand has a mighty influence over our political opinions and life; and if these 'averments are true it would seem the imperative duty of free journals to make their truthful-' ness known. If the Bunk of New Zealand has, and manifests political preferences for one party in the colony toauother, why this preference isshown, is a fair subject for enquiry. Whether the Bank of New Zealand is actuated by a desire for the public good in this preference, or for the vitality of its own interests, is a question worthy the fullest investigation," No doubt the Bank of Now Zealand will survive this onslaught, more especially as it is not backed tip in any way by facts. We ourselves have been connected with the conduct of newspapers for many years past which have done business with the BankofNewZealand,butweneverknew any Bank manager to either influence or attempt to influence the press in the direction pointed out by our contemporary. Our own experience is that •newspapers do not obtain any special favor's from the bank, and even in the Wairarapa we have observed another banking institution take over a newspaper from the Bank of New Zealand, thusprovingitselfstill moreliberal to the Press, As a matter of fact, newspaper accounts are divided between the different banking institutions of the •' colony, just the same as any other ' business; and neither the Bank of j of New Zealand nor any other Bank ! is go foolish as to treat them in an j

exceptional manner. We .'could forgive. ' .our contemporary for. attacking the Bank of tfew Zealand, but we cannot ■excuse Mm for "foulinghis own nest." 'lf Banks bribe newspapers, the journals of the colony-must necessarily, be ■corrupt. In'every part of thei colony ; the Press is represented by papers which are, from a financial point of view, thoroughly independent. IHs - . true that side by side with them exist other papers which cannot pay their way, and which live in a mysterious and a precarious manner. We claim that the former and not the latter class constitute the Press of the colony. We object to the former class bearing the evil reputation of the latter; There are a sufficient number of journals in the colony capable of maintaining the freedom and independenceof the Press, aud these papers are altogether on a different footing to those which areincu bated by artificial processes, subsidised for political purposes, and die unlamented and unregretted.