THE RATEPAYERS’ MEETING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2412, 29 January 1909, Page 2

THE RATEPAYERS’ MEETING.

, [To the Editor.] Sir, —My mind is filled with wonder as to what public purposo you think you serve in your attempt to distort and falsify your report of the proceedings at the meeting of ratepayers on Monday evening last. The liberty of the Press surely was never intended to confer such a privilege on that “glorious bulwark of our freedom’ as tho liberty of insulting, calumniating, and defaming one another, distorting every sentence, and magnifying small, unimportant incidents in a. man’s actions, for the purpose of pointing tlie false finger of ridicule and scorn at imaginary defects. The Press should be tho representative of tlie strictest accuracy and honor, land every communities true moral calibre is measured by tlie truth and honor of its representative Press. The .Press should never stoop to pander to any section of a community 'which Jacks these fine q ua! ities, hut should pursue rather the noble one of elevating the standard of their readers. In political elections and popular upheavals it is often thought correct to sling mud broadcast and sink this standard of truth and honor, for tlie purpose of gaining ends that may bo either ambitious, spiteful, or mercenary. /It is .my object in 'writing to you, Sir, to let a little light fall on the motives that underlie your untruthful and unwarrantable attacks on our Mayor. The public are already prepared for such attacks from your office, but I deem it only fair to avarn you that .if they continue in the same spirit your cloak of working for tlie .interest and welfare of the people will be torn from your shoulders, and the underlying motives exposed to the citizens you try to impose on by such tactics. 11 was at tho ratepayers’ meeting, ana liavo read your report of the same, as well as your leading articles thereon, and can honestly -assert that your report was an accurate and untruth-

ful, and, shows an unfair spirit throughout.-*—l am, etc., AY. MADDISON.

[Mere assertion is valueless/ and our correspondent lias omitted to justify his 'bitter attack by giving « single instance of the 'unfairness he milages. Until he docs so- our readers will draw their own conclusions, and they may possibly consider that it is our correspondent who is trying to “impose” on the ipeople. —Ed. “Gisborne Times.”]