The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1877.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 76, 3 October 1877, Page 2

The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1877.

IJpon tbe completion of tbe last brushing of tbe -friery Cross Coinpauy-j Boattnan'e, a telegram vraa forwarded ibo the West Coasjti Times ,by some person in Reeftpn; - The telegram in question contained the following passage*" Ibo- result is mostunßabiafac* tory as compared 1 'tyitli previous crushiugs. and with general character of the gtone and .app.eArance. . - 0f..;., tho reef. Hokitikaand Greymouth shareholders should combine to protect their interests and ensure tiettei 1 supervision in forking and crushing-/' Now, if tbia mean'B iiliy thing at all, ife was, meant to .convey the impression that those supervising the "working and' crushing." were either incompetent or dishonest. The parties thuß directly pointed at'jtook the very proper course of referring the . matter to a solicitor. Accordingly Mr Staitb communicated with tbe proprietor of the paper in question, requesting to be furnished with the name of the pprson who for* 'warded the telegram. To this request the proprietors of the Weat Coast Times reply that the-' published message was conveyed to us by a reliable eource, and being satisfied with the indemnity w© are prepared to accept any liability which may arise from the publication thereof." Then follows tto'ne explanation in which, the assurance of the " correspondent " ig given that the imputations contained in the message have no reference to the respective Managers of the Fiery Cross Company and the Crushing Company, and here the matter rests for the present. Whether the Managers of the Companies in question will be shtisfied with this equivocal explanation remains to be seen. We have not the smallest desire to attach a word of blame to tbe proprietors or publishers of the West Coast Times, and we are sure this feeling is equally shared by those who feel themsulves personally aggrieved by the publication of the niessage in question, bub aa far as the •V Correspondent " is concerned we regard the explanation as a mean and contemptible evasion. There is no mistaking the purport of his words — their meaning strikes directly home ; in fact he seems to have been especN ally careful to leave nothing for fanci* ful inference or conjecture, aDd therefore to now endeavour to screen himself from the just consequences of bin act by an " assurance " that his libel was intended for others than those pointed at, is merely a cowardly ag. gravation of his offence, nnd ifc is a thousfind pities he cannot be reached directly and punished as he richly j deserves to be. We are glaJ, how- j e^er, to see that the case has been carried oven as far aa ifc has. There are many men ou this field of the character of this soi-dissant correspondent — a kind of selfoappointed spies of distant shareholders — men who are met daily, and affect a melancholy whine as to the dishonesty of everybody about them, and tho frightful rascality which to their showing .underlies every undertaking in the dis— tricfe ; and yefc, st/angely dnough, whenever a morsel of carrion of this class h to be found, at that spot they ■)••(> i.'waya con«!>'euou:-'.. The district .. . .. "«?7'-: ! mo'i ••■» nii'ti I" i'4imaUon '■ . ■ '<» a-'"- ■ •" ' I ■. '

for this reason it would be a great' boon to the district to tear off the disguise of this so-called " correspoadewfc " and have him branded at once. What conclusion would a shareholder in Hie Fiery Cross Company bo likely to form from the words of the telegram in question, simply this, either his 1 Company was being grossly misu managed or that those connected with the crnahiog had been guilty of diss honesty, and if reportu oi this grave and damaging; character are permitted to gn unchallenged can it be wondered at tbafc shareholders residing outside the disfcriot should take alarm and harbor distrust in local management? On this gronnd then we are glad to endorse the action which the Managers of the Companies alluded to bave thought proper to take. Tt will on the one band probably awaken these amatenr " Correspondents " to a sense of the responsibility of th« position, and on the other hand suggest, possibly, extra caution on the part of distant journals in dealing with infora mation derived fram such a source. We may add, in conclusion, that the : telegram in question did not emanate ;fmm the local representative of the ! Press Agency (Mr Pott's) nor from any person either directly or indirectly connected with tbia paper.