The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-16
NEWS HEDGED WITH RED TAPE
ARCHAIC RULES IN PARLI.A-
MENT'S PRESS GALLERY.
Widely Circulated Papers Barred Out he
cause They Are New: Obscure Papers
Admitted Because They Are Old
Anomalies OF the System by Which
Debates In Commons Are Reported.

ThNhhtNNCh HhbNbuNO lubl arc VII
Anomalies OF the System by Whiel
Debates In Commons Are Reported
LONDON, June THE British Parliamen'
is having an unusually interesting session
and the wonder Is that any hint OF the fac
reaches the outside public. There is &
press gallery in the House of Commons
it il true, but this is hedged around with
long leagues Of the hardest sort Of glazec
and starched redtape, and the man who has
charge OF this ancient haberdashery stock
is an Old World, gray bearded, dress sword.
ed official called the sergeant at arms.
He is an extremely courteous and digni-
fed gentleman and would not speak ar
unkind word for worlds, but in his manage
ment Of the press gallery OF the House OF
Commons he carries out in this alleged
twentieth century an archaic policy that
would have harmonized nicely with the
days Of Queen Anne. When the British
public reads about the doings Of the House
OF Commons It little thinks that the great
orations and stirring debates Of the Mother
OF Parliaments are in a large degree CON-
veyed to people only by su~bterfuges.
Many important daily papers with enor-
nous calculations, such as the Daily Mail,
Daily Express, Manchester Dispatch and
the NevcdStle Evening Chronicle, which
reach more people daily than do many doz-
ems OF the older papers put together, can
not get a pass for one of their reporters to
the press gallery Of the British Parliament.
Without a pass signed by the sergeant at
arms none may enter the gallery.
For a long time the Daily Mail, with its
great circulation, got its sketch writer into
the gallery by the accident Of the HARMS
worths happening TO own the Ereninp Neus.
The Evening Mems, with little more thar a
London circulation and rarely even so
much as mention Of Parliament, happened
to have been established a good many
years, so the sergeant at arms admitted
it's existence.
Therefore the Evening Neus could get
the card Of the sergeant at arms admitting
its reporter into the House OF Commons,
While the Daily Mail, one of the really ma
tional papers, the paper with the largest
circulation in the kingdom, could not. The
irony OF it lie that the big paper was able to
get a man Of it's own into the press gallery
because it's proprietors happened some
years before TO have bought up the Erening
Neus while the bailiffs we're at the door.
In other words, it does not matter how
near the now iourishing Euenino Neus was
to death some years ago il could boast the
glory OF the entree to the houses Of Parlia-
ment, and It does not matter how enor-
mously another paper had caught its hold
upon the public it was powerless to get in.
Some of the really big papers are thus
able to smuggle their men in by calling
them the representatives Of little papers.
Not that the anrnaanf az rr,a 10 1;uo,, 30
favoritism, In his way he has a great sense
Of fairness and consideration for others.
. II lie very much the sort OF consideration
the chief clerk in q busy city counting house
would nave for others if he still refused
to know that the times had moved on so
fast that candles had beer superseded by
gas and gas by electricity, and still insisted
on sticking to the miserable light of the
old farthing dip. The last occasion on
which anything like a revision Of the list
OF admissions to the press gallery of the
British Parliament was made was in the
sos. and since then nothing has
been done in the way OF a comprehensive
overhauling, although the newspaper world
has changed so essentially.
Joseph Chamberlain, addressing the Biz
mingham Press Club some time ago. said
was nothing that the press Of Great
Britain could desire hat it could not get
if only it were united in its demand. II
the whole British press united it could
the sergeant at arms's arrangement
of the microscopic space in the press
Of the Houses Of Parliament brought
right out of the present seventeenth century
style and set on a modern basis. II might
be within the realms OF possibility even 10
get the space enlarged.
When a paper with q vast circulation
and no antiquity comes to the sergeant
at arms and ave permission for one
Of its own reporters TO enter the press
that grave and courteous dignitary,
with a suave manner n a dress
has always one reply. NO room"
The space is only so much, he says, and
{ is already overcrowded.
All this is true. There are only two
lows Of seats. The front row is formed by
/ little more than a dozen boxes. each box
one man. The back row consists
If a long strip Of board about a foot wide,
md here punched up like sardines in a box,
most Of the sketch writer's work.
II they strain their necks and run a risk
" being called TO order by a solemn at
for leaning over, the men in the
,ack row can get ii glimpse Of most Of the
Members OF the Government and Of the
Of the Opposition. If they behave
themselves and do not lean over. they
get a good view Of the Irish Nationalist,
he Labor party and much OF the rank and
lie of the two main parties.
The men in the front row or boxes can
ee and hear we'll. These boxes for the
lost part are occupied by the shorthard
who take short turns, B arriving
nd tapping A on the shoulder when AS
alf hour Of note taking is ended, r stepping
lto the box as A steps ont. Here work
he corps OF turn takers employed by the
the Daily Telegraph and other dailies
nd the Central News Agency and the Press
ssociation. [
Here in the very centre Of this precious
tile row Of boxes. applications for which p,
Y big daily papers have lain year after
ear in the Office Of the sergeant-at-arms. I
Of the very best boxes are simply q,
The Times by some ancient dis 7
osition occupies three boxes.
In one box. taking turn by turn, work
le half dozen men who really write the
ines report Of Parliament. Thisis neces- I