MR. HARPER AGAIN

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1910, 19 November 1913, Page 9

MR. HARPER AGAIN

Sirj—You have again expressed yourself unfortunately iii your footnote to my letter. The whole trouble' comes through your using unofficial information, which, besides being unofficial, is untrue. There was no proposal brought forward by "Mr. Hickey's supporters," nor auy other member, that a ballot should bo taken on tho question whether the union should strike or not. As to my overstepping the bounds ,df my authority, tho onlv authority I claim is that the truth shall be told, and misrepresentations and mis-statements refuted. Your half apology is nullified by your still adhering to the incorrect statement—with the inference that Mr. Hickey was present withdrawn. I claim the right to act as censor when, statements of fact that affect my union are concerned, when an official report is only partly used and tho rest "filled in." With expressions of opinion in your leading columns I have So concern Whatever.—l am, etc., JAMES HARPER, President Wellington Typographical Union. Wellington, November 18, 1913.

[Our correspondent, wo fear, is now quibbling. He knows that tho official report did not cover tho whole, of the questions before the mooting, and that a ballot was asked for. Had ho followed tho usual practice and forwarded us a copy of tho official report within it reasonable time of the holding of the meeting it is probable that nothing hut the official report would have appeared. Instead,, he sent the report to a contemporary and a proof of it did not reach us uiitil late on Sunday nigbt, after what lie terms the unofficial report was in type. We should he grateful,' no doubt, for the free expression of opinion in our editorial columns which Mr.'Hstrper is prepared to allow us. j