THE MINISTERS’ FRIEND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5376, 20 June 1878, Page 3

THE MINISTERS’ FRIEND.

(From the Havjkds Bay Herald, 11th inst.)

In the Nets Zealander of the 7th instant there is an article commenting upon what are purported to be the circumstances connected with Mr. Carlile’s retirement from the Herald. The article bears the appearance in several respects of emanating from Mr. Carlile’s pen, but, at all events, there can he little doubt that most of the statements it contains proceed from him. They have been amplified in Wellington, but it is scarcely likely that anyone else could have furnished to the New Zealander the text of a leading article which Mr. Carlilo wrote for the Hawke’s Bay Herald, but which was not inserted. Had Mr. Garble adhered to actual facts we should have taken no notice of the New Zealander's article, but as he has not done bo, we feel bound to briefly state the circumstances as they occurred, and to divest them of the political aspect which Mr. Garble has endeavored to impart to them. “ The firm,” says the writer of the New Zealander's article, “ was a triangular one, and the editor had the odds against him. He used to write articles, and his partners ordered the men not to set them. Then the editor would dismiss the men, and the other partners would re-employ them. Things went on in this manner for a time, until at last they culminated in the editor writing and his partners refusing to allow insertion to an article.” The New Zealander then proceeded to give Mr. Castile’s article, with which, however, it is unnecessary to trouble our readers. “ It was, of course,” continues our Wellington contemporary, out of the question that the public mind of Hawke’s Bay could be allowed to be corrupted by such atrocious sentiments as these, so, accordingly, the article was burked, and the writer was offered £4250 for his interest in the Herald. Dike a wise man, he accepted it. A champagne supper for all hands celebrated the consummation of the bargain, and Hawke’s Bay will now, as a further result, probably have an able and independent liberal paper before very long. The otherparty are not, therefore, likely to gain much by the change.” It will be observed that the aim throughout is to make it appear that Mr. Garble was a martyr to his liberal sentiments, and that on that account alone, his late partners were bent upon his leaving the Herald. Now, no one knows better than Mi-. Garble does’that that is an untrue version of the affair, and that the disagreement between himself and the other two proprietors of the Herald had nothing whatever to do with the political opinions of the. journal or the; side to which it should give support. Ho must he perfectly well aware that his article being kept from appearing in the Herald was in order to bring to an issue the dispute that had been for some time proceeding be-

tween himself and his partners on purely business matters. His partners, finding that he was not amenable to reason —that he would neither buy them out nor be bought out—came to tho conclusion that he should no longer hold the position of editor of the Herald. They told him so, and afterwards, in pursuance of that determination, they prevented the printing of tho leading article which he has since given to the public in the columns of the New Zealander. That was the only occasion when any article written by Mr. Carlile was not printed in the Herald. 'lt is not true, therefore, that Mr. Carlile “used to write articles aud his partners ordered tho men not to set them,” for it occurred only once, and it was then, and then only, that Mr. Carlile dismissed the men, and they were taken on again by one of tbs other partners present. For tho “ champagne for all hands” the New Zealander writer has drawn somewhat upon his imagination, two bottles of champagne having been* the extent of the dissipation—supper there was none. It is not true, as was stated in the New Zealander, that £4-250 was offered to Mr. Carlile so that his “ atrocious sentiments” should not be allowed to corrupt the public mind of Hawke’s Bay. Mr. Carlile was, as we have stated, made to understand that his other partners would not permit him to continue in the editorship of the Herald, because they would no longer work with! him. They wished to get the partnership dissolved, aud that was the means taken to bring it about.