VOTE OF £260 FOR PURCHASE OF 10,000 COPIES OF THE "REVIEW OF REVIEWS FOR AUSTRALASIA" FOR JANUARY, 1901, CONTAINING A SPECIAL ARTICLE ON NEW ZEALAND (CORRESPONDENCE WITH REFERENCE TO THE).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1901 Session I, H-30

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1901. NEW ZEALAND.

VOTE OF £260 FOR PURCHASE OF 10,000 COPIES OF THE "REVIEW OF REVIEWS FOR AUSTRALASIA" FOR JANUARY, 1901, CONTAINING A SPECIAL ARTICLE ON NEW ZEALAND (CORRESPONDENCE WITH REFERENCE TO THE).

Laid upon the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.

167-9, Queen Street, Melbourne, 30th September, 1901. The Bevieiv of Reviews for Australasia and Me. Seddon. (To the Editor.) Sib,— I have not yet seen the text of the debate in your House of Eepresentatives on the arrangements Mr. Seddon made with the Review of Reviews for Australasia as to taking for distribution a certain number of copies of the issue which contains an article on " New Zealand at the Beginning of the Century " ; but I gather by the cablegrams from England that the latest version of the story is that Mr. Seddon paid the Revieio of Reviews for Australasia a sum of money for an article which is practically a puff for himself. I cannot imagine that any sane New-Zealander will believe this story, whatever may be the case in England. The article was one of a series designed to give a picture of each of the great Australasian settlements at the beginning of the new century in turn, and the whole series, it was hoped, would, when completed, form a book of permanent interest and value. New Zealand came third on the list. As there was very considerable expense attached to the many illustrations which accompanied the article, the New Zealand Government was asked to take a certain number of copies for distribution in England and elsewhere, on the ground that the article would be of public service to New Zealand. Mr. Seddon expressed no wish whatever as to the character of the article, and never saw a line of it till it was published. My duty was to secure the best possible writer for the article, and to give him an absolutely free hand. I invited the Rev. Joseph Berry, of Adelaide—-a writer of mark, who lived for many years in New Zealand, and is universally respected —to undertake the article, and it appeared exactly as he wrote it. There could not be a more honest bit of literary work. No one could read it without seeing that it is a perfectly independent, though friendly, study of the resources and prospects of New Zealand. It certainly includes no special eulogy of Mr. Seddon. His name, in fact, except in the titles to the photographs, occurs only three times in the article. And nothing could be more straightforward, businesslike, and honourable than the manner in which Mr. Seddon carried through this transaction with the Review of Reviews for Australasia. He plainly wanted to serve his colony, not himself. And the article is not written in superlatives. It is a sober and absolutely reliable account of the resources and prospects of one of the richest and most flourishing provinces of the British Empire. Yours, &c, W. H. PITCHETT.

Deae Sib,— 167-9, Queen Street, Melbourne, 28th June, 1901. Several very complimentary notices of the article entitled " New Zealand at the Beginning of the Century," which appeared in the Review of Reviews for Australasia for January, have been published in the English papers. Seeing these, the managing director of the English Review of Reviews has written to us suggesting that no better service to New Zealand could be rendered than the publication of the Bey. Joseph Berry's article in the English Review. His proposal is that we forward him the plates we used, and he will print a special supplement on art paper, and insert one in every copy of the Review of Reviews circulated throughout Great Britain, Canada, India, South Africa, and other parts of the Empire. This would mean a circulation of some 100,000 copies of the article in question. We are advised that the cost of printing and inserting such a supplement as described would be £300.

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An ordinary page advertisement of the magazine costs £25 per insertion. As the article, with illustrations, makes twenty-four pages, you will see thai the ordinary advertisement charge would be £600. The charge of £300 for the printing of the article in the body of the magazine and on special paper is therefore a reasonable one. We are given to understand that this proposal is made at a reduced rate, as the article will have considerable interest for English readers as an article pure and simple. If this suggestion commends itself to your judgment, will you kindly advise us that you accept the proposal, and we will at once forward" on the plates to London ? Of course, any alteration of illustrations or matter you desire can be made. Yours, &c, Review op Reviews Pbopbietaey (Limited), (T. Shaw Fitchett, Managing Director). Et. Hon. B. J. Seddon, P. 0., Premier of New Zealand.

Sib,— 167-9, Queen Street, Melbourne, 23rd January, 1901. We beg to advise you that we have shipped this day per s.s. " Mokoia" three cases, containing first supply of 2,500 copies of our January issue containing the special article on New Zealand, of which your Government is purchasing 10,000 copies. Please find JB/L and invoice enclosed. We shall be sending the remaining 2,500 by next boat, and the 5,000 that are to go to. England next week. Yours, &c, Eeview of Eeviews (Per Wμ. H. Fitchett, Jun., Publishing Department). The Under Secretary, Chief Secretary's Office, Wellington, New Zealand.

Sic, — 167-9, Queen Street, Melbourne, 17th January, 1901. Under separate cover and by this mail I have forwarded you half a dozen copies of the January number of the Beview of Reviews, containing our supplement on New Zealand. We venture to think that the article is an effective and valuable advertisement for your colony, as well as of great interest to our readers generally. By the first outgoing mail to London and New Zealand we will despatch the bulk of the copies, as per instructions already received. Yours, &c, Eeview of Eeviews Peopbietaey (Limited), : (T. Shaw Fitchett, Managing Director). The Under-Secretary, Chief Secretary's Office, Wellington, New Zealand.

Deak Sic, — 167-9, Queen Street, Melbourne, 7th December, 1900. We beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd November, embodying order for 10,000 copies of the number of the Beview of Beviews containing the special New Zealand article, together with details re photographs. We desire to inform you that the photographs in question did not reach us until a couple of days ago. It is impossible, therefore, that the article appears in our December number, but will be inserted in our issue for January, as already stated in our letter of the 22nd November. Yours, &c, Review of Reviews Propbietaby (Limited), (T. Shaw Fitchett, Managing Director). The Under-Secretary, Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, New Zealand.

Sic, — Premier's Office, Wellington, New Zealand, 27th November, 1900. I have the honour to inform you that the Government have arranged for the supply of 10,000 copies of the December number of the Beview of Beviews for Australasia, which is to contain a special article on the resources and beauties of New Zealand, and that half the number of copies to be supplied are to be forwarded to your address direct from Melbourne for distribution at Home in whatever way you may deem expedient. I have, &c, J. G. Waed The Agent-General, London. (For the Premier).

Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 23rd November, 1900. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th ultimo, offering to supply 10,000 copies of the December number of the Beview of Beviews, which will contain a special article descriptive of the resources and beauties of New Zealand. You also ask that photographs to illustrate this article may be supplied. In reply, I am directed to inform you that this Government will be prepared to purchase 10,000 copies at 6d. per copy of the number of the Beview of Beviews containing the proposed special article on New Zealand, together with a reprint of the article by the Hon. Sir Robert Stout which was published in the October number. Thirty-one photographs (as per list enclosed) of New Zealand scenery, &c, are being forwarded to you by this mail separately. If space will not allow of the whole of these photographs being published it is desired that preference should be given to those numbered Ito 19 inclusive. I am also directed to request that the whole of the photographs may be returned to this office as early as convenient. I have, &c, Hugh Pollen, The Managing Director, Under-Secretary. Review of Eeviews Proprietary (Limited), 167-9, Queen Street, Melbourne.

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(Telegram.) Nelson, 23rd November, 1900. Half the number of the Reviews is to go to the Agent-General; the other half to be sent to the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Hon. C. H. Mills, Wellington. E. J. Sbddon.

23rd November, 1900. Thiety-onb photos have been selected by the Hons. McGowan and Mills, and they are forwarded herewith. The titles of the photos are scheduled and numbered, and attached hereto. Ministers desire that preference be given to the photos numbered 1 to 19 if space will not permit of the reproduction of the whole of them. Kindly request the manager of the Review of Reviews to return the photos to this office at his earliest convenience. A. Bareon, Under-Secretary. Assistant Surveyor-General.

(Telegram.) 22nd November, 1900. Photos being selected, and will be forwarded first mail. Editor, Review of Reviews, Melbourne. B. J. Sbddon.

(Telegram.) 21st November, 1900. May we arrange for New Zealand supplement in terms of proposal made to you ? Et. Hon. E. J. Seddon, Wellington. Eevibw of Eevibws, Melbourne.

(Telegram.) 21st November, 1900. Wβ have decided to have special notice in Review of Reviews, same as Queensland, on terms mentioned your letter, and wish to have articles on Islands by Chief Justice reprinted. We are now selecting photographs which we wish to appear; you arrange for Berry's article. Review of Reviews, Melbourne. E. J. Seddon.

Deab Sib,— 167-9, Queen Street, Melbourne, 18th October, 1900. Under separate cover we forward you a copy of the Australasian Beview of Reviews containing a special article, entitled "The Great Queensland Winter Pleasure-trip," by the Eev. Joseph Berry, of South Australia. Mr. Berry, who comes from New Zealand, proposes to write an article on similar lines, descriptive of the resources and beauties of New Zealand. The article will be got up in good style, and will be more thoroughly written and illustrated than that dealing with Queensland, and should, we think, be of real service to New Zealand. Will you not help us, as the Queensland Government did, by taking, say, ten thousand copies as an advertisement for your colony, and sending them to England and America and all the other colonies ? You will see by the auditor's certificate we enclose to what a scale the Australasian Review of Reviews has grown, so, apart from any number you take, the article will have a very wide distribution. We will be prepared to supply these copies to your Government at the wholesale trade rate of 6d. net per copy. We hope we are not troubling you in this matter unduly, but we trust to receive as generous treatment from yourself as we have received from Mr. Philp, the Premier of Queensland. The photographs used to illustrate the Queensland article were supplied by the Government. We take it for granted that if you agree to this proposal you will direct that photographs be forwarded to us showing to the best advantage the resources and beauties of New Zealand. We might add that the bulk of the copies purchased by the Queensland Government have been shipped by us on their behalf to the Agent-General for the colony in London. If you consent, would you kindly let your secretary send us a wire, so we can make arrangements for the supplement to appear in our December number ? Yours, &c, Beview of Beviews Pbopbietaby (Limited), (T. Shaw Fitchett, Managing Director). Et. Hon. B. J. Seddon, P. 0., Wellington, New Zealand.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (1,375 copies), £2 Is.

Sy Authority : John Maokay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9ol.

Price 3d.]