A BLUFF THAT FAILED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1263, 19 October 1911, Page 5

A BLUFF THAT FAILED.

» MINISTERIAL JOURNAL ISSUES A CHALLENGE. AND IS PROVED WRONG. That lively country journal, tho "Dannevirko News'" lias been having c tilt ■with tho Wellington organ of tho Ministry, with disastrous results for tho M.nisteiial journal. It seems that tho "News" passed somo comment on n correspondent's letter, which provoked tho following communication from the editor of tho "New Zealand Times," published in tho "News" of October 17 last:— Shy—You accuso a correspondent in Friday's issuo of your paner of knowing that for being misled l)y a certain e'.eclion lio "tho editor of tho 'New Zealoud Times' had to apologiso to Mr. Hunter in the columns of the 'Advocate' .after last election." You appear to know this yourself. Perhaps you will v allow mo to add to your knowledge by Faying: (1) That the editor of tho "New Zealand Times" never heard tho lio; (2) that he did not apologiso to Mr. Hunter after tho last election, nor was ho asked to; (3) that if any apology from him appeared iu a' newspaper it was entirely lxigiis. Sinco you arc relying for your facts upon either a forgery or an unreliable informant, I am entitled to ask that tho statement now contradicted shall bo justified or withdrawn.—l am, etc., TIIE EDITOR, "New Zealand Times." October IS. To this challenge tho "News" gives tho following crushing reply:— Our answer to tho above letter is tho following apology from tho editor of tho "New Zealand Times" to Mr. Geo. Hunter, which was published in tho columns of tho "Danncvirke Advocate" on Tuesday, December 1, 1908:— • "Sir,—Tho following paragraph will appear in tho 'New Zealand Times' on Monday, November 30, mid at tho request of Mr. Georgo Hunter I lmvo agreed to forward it to you for publication, I shall be very much obliged if you can sco your way lo give it insertion.—l am, etc., "PIERCE C. FREETTC, "Managing Editor, *N.Z. Times.' "In our issuo of November f, a statement appeared from a writer under tho lioin-de-plume 'Veritas,' in which it was set forth that Mr. George Hunter, candidate for (ho Waipawa seat, had been waited upon by a deputation of 10 publicans, and asked to contest tho election on behalf of tho Opposition. Wo have boon waited upon by Mr. Hunter, who assures us that the statement is untrue, lio says that ho happened lo ho in Waipukurau when .a meeting of publicans •was being held there, hut beyond making a casual remark to two of the delegates, ho held no communication with them. Mr. Hunter represent,i that tho publication of tho letter injuriously affected his candidature, and. that it was false and malicious. In view of these representations wo cannot do other than mako tho amende honorable and express our ixs> gret Hint tho letter was allowed to appear. This incident confirms us in our subsequently expressed resolution to rc-

fuso publication in future of all anonymous letters referring to the candidature of politicians. It is regrettable indeed ■ that any person should deliberately ( distort facts in order to obtain a political advantage. Thero was a great deal too much of this sort of thing going on in connection with tho last election. Tho most sinister and cruel libels were circulated in regard to prominent figures in the political world; and the pity of it is that tho chief offenders were ignorant ■ or unprincipled women canvassers." , In on so thero may bo any doubt still ! remaining in tho minds of anyone, wo may state that tho file of tho "New Zca- i land Times" of November 30, 1908, con- \ taius tho paragraph which tho editor stated as above would appear in that; f issuo. 1 It will bo interesting to learn how tho r "Now Zealand Times" will now account - for this alleged "bogus" apology from itself, and this alleged "forgery" appearing in its own columns.. Our Ministerial contemporary has evidently been even moro rash than usual frlien it r ventured to challengo tho accuracy of tho "News."