LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 638, 15 October 1909, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

■". THE LIBERTY OF,THE PRESS. . • Sir,—l 'observed . with amazement and sur.prize a'notice in your paper that the Governjrient : liad refused to' insert advertisements in your periodical regarding the railways, etc., and I infer that this course was adopted because you had criticised some of their mea'sures adversely.

'This action on the part of the Government seems to -hie to' : be tyrannical and' , unjust, and if-persisted in: will have'a bad influence on'the press,-since we'eanriot expect honest,and fearless criticism if newspaper proprietor's ■ are .to be-penalised in this arbitrary manner. I trust that-some'member'of Parliament v willbe found who will bring this limttcr before the representatives of the people and resist this attempted coercion. Our ancestors fought and died'in the battles which took place during the Civil War in the' reign of Charles I because they refused to be, governed • bj" a • despotic and. arbitrary tyrant, and we who inherit from them the great and glorious privilege of lib■erty should be equally zealous in the cauEe of freedom.- . ■ ■ . Hoping that'this'letter may be the means of rousing the public to a proper sense of the threatened danger, so that such contemptible conduct on the part of our responsible Ministers may become a thing, of the past.-rl,am, e °" '- : > . A. E. COUZENS; October 13. : ' HOME AGAIN. ..... Sir,—"Under the. above heading 4 correspondent, writing Oyer the initials "J.B;,"''in your issue of October 8, seeks to .depreciate the genuineness of the demonstration of goodwill extended to Sir. Joseph and Lady Ward on the morning of .their'passing through Ohakune on their homeward Journey. "J.tS." would like your readers to believe that not more than eight persons journeyed from Ohakune to the railway station that morning, and that Gamman's mill did not suspend operations to permit of thomen taking part in the hearty, welcome extended to the Prime Minister. I charge "J. 8." with a deliberate perversion of the truth, doubtless made for the purpose of ■belittling itbo - display of enthusiasm shown by the people of the Ohakune district for a. man with whose administration they aro in thorough 'accord. I can-testify to the fact that, Mr. Jopp's two large coaches left Ohakune at 6.45 a.m.,- hearily laden .with passengers', for; the reception, and that Gamman's mill, situated about a.- quartor of a. mile from the ■ station, started work at 6.30, and suspended operations at 7 a.m. in order'to permit tho hands, to. the number, of 50 or 60, joining , in the demonstration of welcome at tho station. • I: can, safely, say that, there were quite: 400 or , 500 persons,on the; Ohakune" platform on the morning in question. The residents of' Ohakuno l!ast turned , out'en masse to-welcome the-Prime Minister and his party. lam'.indubed to follow the example set.by Mr. Mass'oy during his , late unsuccessful' appeal to the Rangitikei electorate to'Teturn an ■uppositioil canjlidate; "At , his Taihape: meeting, he offered'to'lay. £W wa'gora that-he'cduld'disprove what he was pleased to call "mis-statements; -Well, I'am prepared .to to the Wellington or Taihape .Hospital 'if "J. 8." will consent' to a like penalty if-he can prove: (1) That Gamman's mill did 'not suspend operations on the morning that.the Prime Minister passed through Ohakune; and (2) that only a few persons from the Ohakune district were present at .the reception. ' I maintain, that,' independent of the passengers travelling by train, there were , between two'or three hundred bona : fide residents of the Ohakune'district; present-that' morning,- including a goodly number of ladies, yho rose at an early hour in order to take part in the'proceedings. If f'J.B.",ie possessed of a spark }f manliness, or'has the smallest regard for the truth, it "is incumbent on him to accept' my challenge. If he 6hbuld fail, he .must be content to be branded as a'perverter.'of the , truth. —I am, etc., :; '. : 'i / ■ .'• ~' ■ ■

JOSEPH IVESS, ■•■: ' Chairman Ohakune .Reception Committee.

•.•':■ ■''RIFLE CLUBS, '; Sir,—The consideration of defence will receive attention from Parliament during this second' session. -One matter, to iny mind, requires it. .The rifle clubs in the Dominion are composed of men, mostly reliable rifle-slots, and with experience in the lyolunteer. force. I understand that members are sworn in. and .are required! to'attend- a .given' /number ■'■'lot, drills per annum.- They are also liable to be oalled out for service, emergency. What: isto.be expectedtfromTthese-ibotties-unless. there is acadre'foreaoh 'olub?- There 'appears to. be, a president ahd.vice ;with'» .secretary.■ j , .'But • they do not holjl any rank.; or > commission. Who then would'be in charge of armed men. The position should be revised,, and honorary commissions issued.—l am, etc.,. ,' .■. .. ..,...; NOT ONE. .

THE MAYOR'S COMMON SENSE/,;, Sir,—Much indignant, oritioism has been,excited by tha Mayor's courage in .expressing his opinion of thu pictures presented year after year to. the Wellington public.' I send you an ■ extract'of an article by the Hon. John Collier, who 1 'even"the 'offended artists'must admit- to be a capable critic. He admits' that there ,is a /slump in art, arid declares that • the public would buy modern pictures "IF (please .emphasise), they were' less ugly, ' less - coarsely painted, less weirdly. unlike nature,' less dismal, and, above all, if they were sinaller."—l ai, etc., ■ ■' , ; ' ' i ■'.'■' . '. - ' I'.'.- ■~:.-/. LOVER OF "'NATUEE.. 'October ll..:;" ■.. ■..•■ ■■. ■.":. ,-. '. .•'■