The Freeman's Journal welcomes a new publication – the Railway Pioneer – which it describes as 'a very creditable little newspaper venture'. However, the Freeman's protests that the Pioneer is currently distributed gratis: 'We would put in a mild protest against this, the Pioneer has considerable merit, is worth something, and we pray its manager not to bring up his patrons in the dreadful habit of not paying for their newspapers. Perfect demoralization must arise out of it.'