Semi=weekly graphic., 1899-05-27
THE HINDOO EDITOR.
THE DIFFICULTIES ENcoUNreRED IN
 THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS TASK.


 Leaves Blank Pages When He Can't Fill
 Them-suspends Publication When He
 Takes a Holiday.
 The Indian press is of ancient origin. Ages before the European conquest every court had its weekly, in some cases its daily journal, which was sent out to the principal towns and atten- lively read by nobles, wealthy people and officials. These journals contained proclamations and decrees, and chron- icled the movements of the court and all things likely to be of interest to clle faithful subjects of the rulers or lie various principalities.
 Newspapers, in our meaning of the word, were first published in 1918. But these were in English. The first na- tive newspaper was not issued until the middle of the century. The native press of the present day may be divided into two classes, papers edited and published by natives, the matter being generally half in English and half in a native language, and those journals which are published entirely in a native language, this class being much more numerous.
 AS a rule, these last are small, very poorly printed on cheap paper, often on only one side of the sheet, and not infrequently the same journal varies in size, according to the amount of news obtainable and the personal cir cumstances and convenience of the editor.
 Generally speaking, the native is very anxious to acquire a knowledge of English. It not only opens the way to appointments in the government ser vice, but also makes him q person of great importance in the district, as comparatively few of the millions of natives read English or even under stand it when spoken. A working knowledge of our tongue is indispen- sable to native editor, because all the important news is first published in the Anglo-Indiaa newspapers.
 The native writer is fond of extrav agant expressions, and makes use, l whenever he can, of quotations from l Shakespeare or Milton and the relig l ious phrases he mas seen in missionary l literature. In the use of metaphors he often gets much mixed up.
 The editorial page of the Indian l eodntry paper is q literary curiosity. l For instance, the reader is assured, in an article on q political crisis, that all i the crowned heads of Europe are l shaking in their shoes" Sometimes we l read that "the editor expects, with divine help, to have more reading suit l ed to the intelligence of his subserib- l CTS in the next issue"
 But the editor is seen at his best in 1 his own announcements. His whole l vocabulary is brought into play to im- i press the readers. Sometimes the an- nouncement takes the tone of apology i as in the case of the editor who in- nocently declared: "This is only the 1 beginning of our paper. We were not 1 sure how much matter was required to fill it up. and, thinking we had sutfi- l cient, we did not exert ourselves much to get any more. We therefore beg that our readers will excuse us this time for the space left blank, and promise to do better and get more in the future"
 Still more curious was the announce ment of a paper which came out for the first time with two columns blank, the editor making the bold announce ment that "a large quantity of exceed ingly interesting matter had been left out for want of space"
 When the native editor wants a hOli. day he suspends publication until it is convenient to resume, and, taking his readers into his confidence, informs them plainly why the paper was not issued on the expected dates. With the consent of our readers, we now propose to take our annual holiday We are sure none of them will begrudge us 1 our relaxation"
 If it were not for the English news papers published in Calcutta, Bombay and other large cities, which are edited by cultured Englishmen and Anglo-In- dians, the native journals would be very poor productions, as nearly all the news and much of the other read. ing matter is translated in order to fill l them.