THE FLAXMILL HANDS CONTENTION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 May 1911, Page 2

THE FLAXMILL HANDS CONTENTION.

TOur correspondents' opinions rtrr their own : the responflibilitt of editorial ones makes sufficient. h:il Inst for the editor's shoulder? ]

To the Editor Sir,—T do not propose to don I with the personalities so lavishly scattered by ''Not Exaggerating" in his effusion of the Bth instant. T should like, however, to compliment- him 011 one of his phrases. "Hireling traducer" is dinstinctly 011 a higher plane of literature than the balance of his contributions. Tint, unfortunately, personalities are not arguments or your correspondent- would he a .shining light in anv debating sooietv. The. fact remains that in his first letter your correspondent distinctly asS"i'ted that "the flnxies are a drunken lot," and that "most" of them live in debt and get drunk, etc. In hi.s letter under reply ho hacks down and says that "half the flaxmill men are boozers'.' (classical expressions). At this rate of reduction in his charges "Not Exaggerating'" will only need to write a few mohe-. so-called letters to he giving us a ' clean hill of health! T do not think it necessary to say much about your correspondent's pathetic attempts to dodge the issue by futile references to my name. T would merely point out that when he expresses the belief that his word will be taken before mine, the natural query is "whose word.'' The word of a man who scatters his scurrility from the degrading shelter of an -assumed name? T. at all events, give your readers credit for more common sense. Finally T would say that your correspondent, sums up his position perfectly in the last phrase of his letter of the Bth instant when lie savs "I don't think." Rut the fact that "Not Exaggerating" does not think, is so palpably obvious that one wonders why he .should he so anxious to advertise it. Tf h° wishes to further exploit his incapacity for thought let him do so under his own name, if it will stand the daylight, which his persistent use of a nick-name leads me to doubt. T am, etc.. PERCY _T. ROBINSON. Secretary -Elaxmills Union. Palmerston N.. 13-5-'ll.