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The Daily Graphic Office.

By 1895, everyone had the pleasure of reading daily news; and if you were strongly inclined toward politics, you could subscribe to the paper of your choice, which was printed by the Grits and Tories. In other words - you had a choice of three papers at one time.

Nearing election times, if someone were to blindfold you and read to YO'J, you would have no trouble in naming the paper from which the news was read! Each party had no qualms about slam­ mine; the opposing party, in what they must have considered direct, effective, and understandable language! With no radios or television sets at that time, it was their way of informing the public of the bad habits and ulterior motives of the opposite party, and implying that anyone who didn't heed their words of wisdom was a nincom­ p~op. Politicians can say very much the same things on radio and television today, and their words can be forgotten with a flick of the switch, but the printed words in newspapers live on in archives and in books.

With the founding of the Marquette Review by Thomas Collins, Portage la Prairie holds the distinction of having the first news­ paper west of Winnipeg. This paper was independent in policy, holding to neither of the two major political parties, until it was purchased by a syndicate (for $11,000.00) in 1882. It then developed into an organ for the defence of the Norquay administration in the Conservative interests.

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