The Manawatu Standard Suivant la verite. FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1883. IN EXPLANATION AND DEFENCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 3, Issue 79, 9 March 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard Suivant la verite. FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1883. IN EXPLANATION A ND DEFENCE.

After the bitter"pers i onai abusis! levelled by the other Palmerston paper at the devoted head of the County Chairman* because a certain account for advertising due to it by the County Council had not been paid vatya certain date/ it is ; *■ *- -* -Jk. _V. V_ 5_ ' i x ' " . only fair to explain that there exists what Cr Vi alker yrq\sd term &> 'flex Bcripta " with regard to sneh matters. All the accounts must be before the Financej_jCommHtee. pf-.the P^unty Council by a certain specified time— we think, ten clear days before the sitting j&f l i"he'Qqiiiifeili 'Ifthfey ai'e'not m time jthey ; are, tejia p^ver 'till next meetinjg;;,. as the Stakdabd account was served only last meeting. Bnt that is our fault, ; and '.. nb bl ame -can attach • to ' the Chair■man. Clerk, Finance Committee,- or anyone el8 ( e but ourselves.. 'We would have no more right to hurl abuse at the Chairman on^euch ; grounds, than to assail tMr ;; BusBEiL, because he was a i member of the •< horaV Society - mittee whjph .withdrew its advertising from the Standard, because we criticised j adversely ? some .portions of^ '-.-a concert previously given; or because , he might, try ineffectually to induce certain sub--Bcrib'ers or advert'fserstO withdraw' their patronage m> i fa l y ; our ol Mb own papefT We might not approve of the action ; but to attack him virulently therefor would never enter our heads. We hope Jo jcp^ntinug above, .such _ tactics, and ar r <? heartily sorry our contemporary adopted the course pursued m last night's paper, which will not serve to elevate the institution of the Press m the opinion of^ sensible -and |rightf thinking people. In our opinion, of all people m the world, the County Chairman should have earned an immunity from personal abuse at the hands of Mr Russell, to whom Dr Rockstrow not; long -ago proved himself a true friend — m face a friend m a thousand, as those who remember the recent Fozton election will freely ac*mit. We do not think the*. County. Chairman has the slightest personal animus against Mr Russell, though really after the shameful manner in' which he has been attacked of late we would. , scarcely wonder if he felt; annoyed, a -Ku. .was a- -most improper proceeding to threaten any member of a public body with "legal proceedings 7 ' or '• to put m the bailiffs," because an account'^ ad not been paid.- Really, this istifttogetherlinexcusabl^i.. Bui ißurely Dr Rockstrow cannot be accused of " vindictivepesa." J>y T Mr . Russell. Whether the ssttspensibn of Wvertistng m the Times was a justifiable proceeding we are not prepared to sayjiipr do we intend to enter into the argument ; but the threats referred to above utteredto Cr Gray, were wholly unjustifiable , uu.der, any A circumst,ance,s. , Tb^a suspenstdi/df adverfisMgin- thi Timfes,' from apublic point of view, is a matter of very little importance, as it is doubtfuTlf a single additional tender would have been received, or a single petiiiy s^Ved J to the ratepayers, had the advertifieinent been inserted "inT" the Times. Such absurd arguments are only bosh, and are^garde^ .assuch byr the peb^ic, .wbo; -6n6w^-aV*well L aS"* i M.1 r 'RuVsELL i " i^bw^s," that m every district m which the Times circulates the Standard does also, and m far greater numbers. tSo one. attempts , to dispute JEisj t^4]Sulselyes»l Teeffin* miliated at the course our contemporary v haß adopted, which we consider reflects idisc/^ita^l^^nlT^ asv? a sectibniofithe District Press. What will outsiders think of such tactics — th'sdwihg "mutt at aQn«nty Chairman because of. private grievances, proDably entirely of an imaginary character 1 Sut^i ia'n'oiVery edifying, nor we may. add <lecorous7~Slf iraP Naming ' big :o about « gagging the Press, by bribes er threats;' this- is only twaddle, and nauseates p eople with any sense. ■•' ia .T^.™ 1 '- '-."--'-