"Not only have members of the Government realized the importance of the Press in the National interest, but the general public today, despite counter attractions, depends upon its newspapers for the accurate and reliable information these times demand.
"That recognition of British journalism has only been made possible by the steady and persistent efforts of past members of the profession, all of whom, whether they were members of the Institute or not, have had the Institute principles at heart.
"Since Queen Victoria's Privy Council granted us our Charter on March 3, 1890, the Institute has been unremitting in its fulfilment of that Charter's primary aim—the promotion by all reasonable means of the interests of journalists and journalism—and has many notable achievements to its credit in the economic, professional, and political fields, although it has always been free of political entanglements, "Two of the most recent instances of effective Institute action on behalf of both the Press and the public were the amendment of the menacing section of the Official Secrets Act and the vigorous advocacy of the reform of the law of libel and defamation, which resulted in the appointment by the Lord Chancellor of an expert committee of inquiry, on which the Institute is represented."
Mr, Verstone referred with some pride to the famous journalists who had occupied the presidential chair, and remarked that it was significant that each and all of them had put ihe freedom of the Press on the same high level as the freedom of every British citizen.
The Institute, he concluded, had a proud record of benevolence through its funds for assisting not only members in times of distress and misfortune, but also widows and orphans, Queen Mary has been for many years patroness of the Institute's Orphan Fund.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.