THEN AND NOW.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 31, 5 January 1884, Page 3

THEN AND NOW.

When we pointed out a few days ago that the Times was making a misstatement when it alleged that it was the ; " oldest-established daily newspaper m Manawutu," we were informed as a rejoinder tha(( the Times had; been established' over eight years, while the Stand ard was not yet four years m existence. " This- is true, but let us briefly- glance at the results m each ■•case. ,TJie Standard has been published hh a daily paper from the start, .whereas the Times has only made that step within the last few months. It wa«i through being a daily paper that ie has gained the immence headway it lias now achieved. At the present time the Standard hafe three readers m the town, and suburbs for one of the Times. lii the outside districts the relative disparity is still more apparent. Take Ashurst for instance. There the (Standard sends thirty-seven papers daily, to three sent by th 6 Times. At every, station on the line of railway, Buunythorpe, Troivljem, Taonui, Ao rangi, Feilding", Makino, and ffal combe, the Standard has its agent*, some of them ta'dng as many aa a hundred copies a week. '\ hen again throughout Bulls, Sandon, Lower Raugitikei, and Parewanui, the Standard circulates extensive, while the Times is unknown, except when * marked' papers are sent, specially addressed to one or other of tho residents, containing some remarks by " Business Man," or some attacks on Stevens and Gorton. Our country edition is distributed numerously m Foxton.where the Times is low scarcely seen. The Standard has also advertisers from Wanganui,' (where it is liberally patronized) the Manchester Block, Halcombe, Feilding, the Kangitikei District, Bulls, Ashurst, Makino, Napier, Woodville, Wellington, Waipawa, Foxtoo, Dunedin, Ohfistchurch, Auckland, Waikatoj Sydney, ani London, thus testifying to what has been achieved m the way of circulation during the pa*t two or three years. No paper on the whole West Const has made such progress, and this notwithstanding the most bitter and unscrupulous opposition from certain quarters. Day by day it has gone steadily ahead, each month seeing an advance m circulation, and the paper itself more firmly established. The expense ot delivery has been exceedingly heavy, requiring a largo number of horses and runners. But the results have been conclusively satisfactory, as the Standard has now a circulation m town and country, and throughout the adjacent districts, which, for number and wide area of distribution his no equal m this or m any similar district m the North Inland. These are no idle boast,- but are facts which can be substantiated by testimony that none dare challenge or can prove fictitious.