The Era of Amalgamations

Canada.—There are no more independent newspapers than those published in the British overseas dominions. They are comparatively free from Government influences, and are not subject to the domination of syndicates or trusts. The press of each dominion has its own characteristics. Canadian news papers not unnaturally reflect the style and appearance of Ameri can newspapers, while retaining some of the more sedate qualities of English journalism.

There are few Sunday newspapers in Canada, although Ameri can Sunday newspapers are sold at railway stations and at hotels throughout the dominion. Such papers as The Montreal Star and The Toronto Globe have very large sales and are second to none in enterprise.

The Canadian press publishes a great deal of British news and carries American magazine features.

There are no national newspapers in Canada, as the Dominion is too vast for papers to circulate beyond one province. There are several papers of national reputation and wide influence, as The Manitoba Free Press, The Montreal Gazette, The Montreal Star, The Toronto Globe, The Vancouver Daily Province, The Hal ifax Chronicle ,The Halifax Herald. Such newspapers stand high, and Canadian journalists are continually being tempted to cross the border to fill important posts on the American press, and in recent years have been drawn in greater numbers to London. In some towns, such as Ottawa, the same papers have morning and evening issues. There are no big newspaper trusts in Canada. There is a chain under the same ownership including newspapers in Hamilton, Ontario, Ottawa, Regina and Vancouver City, but otherwise the combines are local. There is a healthy French press in the Quebec province. La Presse of Montreal claims to have the largest sale of any newspaper in Canada, French or English. Every town in Canada, even if its population does not exceed 5,000, has a daily newspaper, as is the case in most communities in other British dominions. The trade and technical press of Canada com pares well with similar papers in other countries. Monthly publi cations are at a disadvantage because of competition from the excellent cheap magazines and Sunday supplements from the United States, which regard the dominion as a dependency for periodical literature.

The small town of St. John's, population 38,645, in the large island dominion of Newfoundland, prides itself on having one morning and three evening newspapers.

Australia.

Australian newspapers are dignified in appearance and possess solid qualities. As the number of newspapers is com paratively few for a growing community, they are almost without exception highly prosperous and very efficiently equipped. In Melbourne, which with its suburbs has over a million inhabitants, there are only two general morning newspapers—The Age and The Argus, and a pictorial paper—and one evening paper, the Herald, Many attempts have been made at competition with the Herald, but all have failed.

The chief newspaper centre in Australia is Sydney, which has seven daily newspapers—four morning, two evening, and one com mercial. The Melbourne Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, occupy a first position among empire newspapers. The Daily Guardian most resembles the popular newspaper in England.

With regard to the capitals of the other States of the Common wealth, Brisbane has two morning and two evening dailies, Ade laide two morning and one evening, Perth one morning and one evening paper. Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, has only one paper. In several of the cities a daily commercial news-sheet is issued and a very large number of weeklies. The weekly newspaper occupies a very important place in Australian journalism as it covers a large number of smaller towns few of which have daily newspapers. An exception is Rockhampton, in Queensland, which although it has only a population of 31,00o, boasts of one morn ing and one evening paper. Launceston, in Tasmania, which has only a population of 35,000 in the city and suburbs, contains one morning and one evening paper.

The Australian newspapers comprise numerous trade journals, general weekly papers, and also humorous journals. The Sydney Bulletin, Truth and Smith's Weekly have the largest sale among weekly papers.

New Zealand.—With a total population of about 1,500,000 New Zealand has a very healthy newspaper press, in style and characteristics similar to the Australian newspapers. Wellington, the capital, with a population of 93,000, has one morning and one evening paper. Christchurch, which has 40,000 more population, has two morning and two evening papers; Dunedin one morning and one evening. Invercargill, with a population of only 2 2,000 has one morning newspaper and one evening. New Plymouth, with a population of 16,000, has one morning and one evening.