Editorial Principles

The columns are reproduced as they appeared in their original newspaper and magazine sources except for the correction of obvious typographical errors, which are accompanied by a footnote that gives the original spelling. The original headlines, sub-headings, italics and paragraph breaks are all retained.

A footnote to Hansard is included when Hyde refers to a particular speech in Parliament. On those occasions when she claims to be quoting verbatim from an M.P.'s speech, the footnote supplies the official version of the phrase or phrases as recorded in Hansard whenever possible; there are some instances when Hyde includes words that either were not spoken or were not recorded by Hansard's reporters, particularly in the case of interjections. Some of the subjects under debate or the people being referred to are now fairly obscure and footnotes are included to help clarify the meaning or import of what Hyde records in these cases.

Allusions to popular songs, literary sources and other cultural reference points are accompanied wherever possible by a footnote which gives the correct version of quotations or explains the allusion. Some of these references have proved untraceable. Phrases in foreign languages are also footnoted if they seem sufficiently obscure. Where there is more than one example of a particular allusion in the reports, readers are referred to the other relevant columns.

I would like to thank the staff at the National Library, the Alexander Turnbull Library, the Auckland Public Library, Auckland University Library and the Hocken Library for assistance with materials for this project. I am particularly grateful to the staff in the Newspaper Research Room at the Turnbull Library for allowing me to consult the original paper copies of some issues of the Dominion. I would also like to thank the Massey University Research Fund for grants awarded in 2005 and 2006 that allowed me to undertake this research. Finally, a special thank you to my research assistants Jenny Hessell and Monica Brookes, and to Elizabeth Gray for her assistance with the numerous Biblical allusions in Hyde's reports. — N.H.