THE TEMPERANCE PRESS.

Evening Star, Issue 4264, 26 October 1876, Page 3

THE TEMPERANCE PRESS.

To the Editor. Sir,—The local newspapers have for the last few days paragraphed statements as to the formation of a company to buy up and fuse into a new journal 'The Temperance Advocate' and' The Liberator'; aud we think it is an appropriate time on the part of a majority of earnest temperance men n , d J? etoa verv lar g e section of the Good Templars, that we should avow our disapproval of the mode in which the ' Liberator' has been used as the vehicle of personalities which we forbear to characterise by any harsh adjective. Wh'lstprepared to give the proprietor ©f the ' Liberator' ever praise for some very well chosen extracts on temperance matters from the general f?ress of the world, and not objecting to the article which brought on Mr Hooper his late lawsuit, we do most emphatically object to the good name of the whole temperance organisation being involved in the responsibility for the personal element—which it is too wellknown is necessarily the result of Mr Hooper having the control of a public print. We feel that our good cause has been dragged through the mire by the 'Liberator,' and sincerely hope arrrngements may be made by which an earnest and devoted temperance weekly paper may be provided free from abuse and scurrility.—l am, &c, _ A Trio of P.W.C.T's. Dunedw, October 26.

To the Editor. Sib,—Several paragraphs having lately appeared in various papers in the City referring to the above subject, no doubt temperance men feel unable to decide " what is what in the matter. With the view of letting my friends and the public know the , exact position, I take the liberty of asking i you to find room in your paper for the fol lowing statement of facts :—Some few weeks ago six or seven gentlemen met in response to an appeal to a few of those connected witn our cause, and who had hitherto takun an interest iu the Temperance Press At this meeting the desirability of having a good weekly organ pubiis ed was fully discussed, and an unanimous opinion expressed upon it. Those present formed themselves into a provisional directory for the purpose of carrying out this cbject, and thech.irman was requested to ask written offers from the proprietors of the ' Temperance Advocate' and 'Liberator' for the sale of these papers, the meeting adjourning for some days to receive these offers. At the adjourned meeting these were submitted and referred to a sub-committee to make inquiries as to the value of the properties. Ihis committee reported at a subsequent meeting. Their report was received, and the chairman instructed to make such offers as the meeting agreed upon to the two proprietors, and the meeting a<ijourned for a week, wheu the resu't was to be submitted I was much astonished to see in the papers two days after this meeting, a notice to the enect that another company was bein» formed for the same, purpose, and fhat four of the gentlemen connected with this new scheme were provisional directors of the original one. After the public notice to which I allude, the chairman called a special meeting of the original company, in order to allow the gentlemen who had thus a cwd an opportunity of withdrawing from the first scheme, and thus leaving them free to carry out the plan to which they had since given their support; at the same time relieving the original directors from any claims they might have of co-operation. At this meeting it was decided to dissolve the original directory, and that body ceased to exist. The scheme of the sreond company not meeting the views of a number of those who were connected with the first, the latter declined to take part in it. One of those connected with the original scheme has since taken upon himself the responsibility of the purchase of the 'Advocate,'and that paper will, in its next issue, contain the scheme upon which it is to be carried on for the future. Trusting the above statement of facts may set at rest any misgivings on the part of those connected with our order, and j regretting that it should be necessary to bring the positi n of matters thus before the public,—l am, &c,

■n j- , , JoHN MACKAY. Dnnedin, October 25.