GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2652, 6 November 1909, Page 5

GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.

THE BOYCOTTING OF THE “DOMINION.”

(Special to “Times.”) WELLINGTON, Nov. 5. Money Bills have occupied most of the attention of Parliament this session. Wo have had an Imprest Supply Bill, and a Loan Bill, and to-day a second Imprest Bill came down. Finance was discussed upon’ the two first money measures. To-day finance was inainlv ignored, though the talk was plentiful and interesting too. The chief topic of discussion centred round a question of principle, namely, Government patronage of the press or rather the boycotting of a particular newspaper in the matter of advertising. The “Dominion” is an avowedly Opposition paper, and it does not get the Government advertisements. It has been in the habit of publishing them gratuitously for public information, and informing! the public of tlie why and wherefore upon each occasion. In the House to-day Mr. Wright, Independent .member for Wellington South, took occasion to intercept supply- by an amendment to tlie effect that the Government should distribute advertisements irrespective of party politics. He made a strong indictment against the Government for partiality in the matter of advertising, and more than implied that the paper in question was punished for its opposition to the Government. The whole of the afternoon, and a great part of the evening sitting was devoted to charges counter-charges, and there was a fusliuiue of invectives which made the atmosphere of the House somewhat sulphurous. The Premier defended the Government’s attitude in the matter of advertisement distribution, and denied that parisansliip entered into the question. Messrs Massey. Herries, and Fisher, and others on the Opposition side, were hard to convince on the point, and expressed themselves to that effect somewhat pointedly. Then, later on, the Premier displayed the cloven hoof, having a second cut at Mr. Wright’s criticism of the Government’s attitude towards the “Dominion.” He complained that the journal manifested strong political Mas leading to unfair criticism. Tho Government had never interfered, he said, wren the “New Zealand r l7rnes,~’ which was managed creditably and conducted in an impartial manner. Having admitted shareiltuder.smp in the latter paper by members of the Cabinet in their private capacities, he went on to sav How he and others had successfully taken steps to frustrate what he described as an attempt on the part of the “Dominion, , ’ owned by landed proprietors, to crush the Government organ. These bald admissions carry, but one implication, and scarcely bear out the Premier’s declaration of impartiality in the distribution of advertising favors.