The United Press Association and Sir William Fox.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XII, Issue 1732, 12 June 1886, Page 2

The United Press Association and Sir William Fox.

We are not particular admirers of Sir Wra. Pox's advocacy of Temperance question^ because wo think he often goes to extremes m the views which he promulgates, and the manner m which he givQ3 expression thereto. We think he lacks discretion, tact, moderation and, man essential degree, conciliation. He is too pronounced, too autocratic, too dictatorial, too uncompromising, and too implacable. He would succeed far better m his cherished objects were he to adapt himself more to the ways' of the world and h9 less dogmatic and pugnacious. But we believe firmly m his sincerity, m his absolute, honesty of purpose, his devotion, and bis steadfast" ness. Not long ago he made a mistake m reference to a hotel m Wellington, the consequence being that he was served with awrit, and finally, seeing his mis-: ! take; he frankly apologised. Hero is his ! apology, W published m the Wellington papers :— " To Mr S. S. Downes, Pier Hotel, Wellington.— Sir,-—I regret that m a letter 'of 'mine to the New Zealand: . limei of the 9th March last I made indirect reterences to your hotel. On discovering my mistake I instantly wrote a correction to the paper, which was published. In writing the letter I t had no intention of imputing any mis- ' conduct to you, nor did 1 intend m any way to refer to your house, and pm sorry that' you should have so construed it. On the contrary, lam happy to state that I have every reason to believe, from information I have received, that your hotel is one of the best conducted houses, m Wellington. In writing the letter I .only desired io discharge a public duty by exposing and drawing 'the attention of the police to what wa,s taking place m certain hotels m Wellington, with w.hich you are' iri no way connected. — Your obedient seryant.—^William Fox, Wellington, sth June, 1886^ We have not noticed any of the United Press 'Association .telegrams m; our exchanges withTregard to the above, but the Marton paper -states that the manager of the Press Association telegraphed all over the colony, that Sir William Fox had made an " abject" apology iri the case pending against him by Mr DowNEg. We cannot understand how theUnitecl Press Association, which professes to be an impartial distributer of information to newspapers, without political bias or personal animus, could apply the term ••• abject. 1 ' It is not an abject apology j m any sense, nor was an abject apology ! asked forjor expected. It was a straightforward, honest expression of regret for an inadvertent errors We wonder who suggested the term "abject to /the manager of the United Press Association ? We have a shrewd /guess. We know pretty well how the" strings of that association are pulled. • We say that the term was inappropriate, untruthful, and savours .strongly of vindictiveness on acconnt of some previous 'II •feeling ap-ainst Sir W. Fox. We hope the Wei lington papers, including the Tost, will express their opinion strongly with regard to the improper use of the term "> abject" as ' applied io the apoioey m question. ' ;,