Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-06-25

admiralty office. was referred to the
private secretary Of the permanent
secretary" Various communications
passed between us. but after being
Kept dangling around for more than
two hours. ! was informed that there
was nobody IN that huge department
who could answer my query What was
meant Of course, was that there was
nobody present who would assume the
terrible responsibility OF giving out n
mite Of Information for publication.
After protracted rainy spell / once
sought to ascertain at the board of ag-
rlculture what had been the effect Of
the wet weather on the crops. The in
quiry produced CONSERVATION among
the officials there. one of them. | be-
lleve, felt a profound pity for the y
norance which could prompt anybody
20 seek information on a live topic
from a British government department
Il am truly sorry that YOU have taken
the trouble to come here" he said, but
really we don't know anything about
the effect of the rain on the crops"
DO you mean 70 tell me that there
Is no official on the board OF agriculture
who could give me authoritative lnfor-
nation on the subjeCt%
II am very sure that there isn't" he
answered, shaking his head sadly. Then
a bright idea struck him. Il tell you
what you might do" he said cheerily.
go and interview the editor of some
agricultural paper about Il. He ought
20 know something Il the effect of the
vain on the crops. lie would have TO-
you know to run an agricultural pa
per"
| wondered what an official had to
know In order to hold a billet on the
board OF agriculture, but did not think
IL judciOus to ask him, IL occurred to
me that at the Royal Society of Agri-
culture, which is a private institution
and not dependent on British taxpay-
crs for support. ! might find some ON
who made 1t his business to keep N
ed on agricultural conditions. But&
Inquiries there proved equally futile.
I'VE don't know anything about The
effect OF the rain ON the crops" said
the secretary. How should we? We
get out an annual report. but we shall
not SET about preparing that for some
months yet Come around then and we
may be able to give you some infor-
nation"
An American editor would delight in
showing up" things of this sort, but
an English editor OF a staid. respect.
able, run-ln-a -rut penny journal would
regard such exposures MS rank sensa-
tionallsm' quite without the pale Of
legitimate journalism. And thus oiH-
cial ignorance and Incompetence are
screened from the limellght OF pub
licity
HORROR or INTERVIEWS
In recent years interviewing has been
recognized even by the most conserva-
tive British journals as legitimate Jour
nalism but 1t Is not practised to any
thing like the extent Il is IN America.
British officials high and low have
great horror OF It. Mr. Chamberlain
may be interviewed In America, but
never would he submit to II In England.
When a reporter seeks information of
the London County Council he is given
n payer 10 sign By which he pledges
himself not to use what he learns I'm
the form of an int; view, and not 10
mention the name OF his informant
No official information Is ever given
TO reporters az Scotland Yard or the
police stations concerning murders
suicides burglaries or any crimes OF
sufficient magnitude 90 be of public in
terest. Judicial inquiries are the only
recognized source Of legitimate official
information on such subjects.
When reporter is put on a criminal