PALMERSTON'S MAYOR.

NZ Truth, Issue 144, 21 March 1908, Page 5

PALMERSTON'S MAYOR.

A "STRONG" CLIQUE.

A Sample of Journalistic

Treachery.

" Dick " Damned for Daring to be

a Democratic Daniel.

What an unfortunate place Palmerston North is m the matter of newspapers. After a long and painful period of the unutterable Freeth, it is now suffering ' under an infliction of Hoben. Hoben just at present, has a snout on Mayor Essex, and because this humble journal put m a word for the said Mayor, Hoben waxes wrath and refers to this most respectable and exemplary . publication as "-a certain Wellington pr-int of reckless memory." Now, Mr Hoben announces m his paper the "Manawatu Daily Times" i that he is ' ccmductor, editor and proprietor of that journal. Who the devil cares ? Who is Hoben, anyhow, that it should be of interest to the public to know that the "Manawatu D.T." is "conducted by E. 3. 'Hoben, • editor and proprietor." John Norton certainly, announces that he is the conductor and proprietor of "Truth," but then John Jsforton is a person of. distinction. . John Norton is known m every city,, town and village throughout Australasia. . He's - a Member of Parliament, .a" man ''■of' note, a . publicist. But what is Hoben that the public should care whether he conducts and edits his blasted paper ? Hfe is just a common garden variety of journalist, and it is like his CONSUMMATE IMPUDENCE and case-hardened conceit £0 flaunt his name on his paper as though! 'he were a person of importance— a pei> son whose individuality . carried weight and prestige. Hoben picked up some sort of a knowledge of journalism on the "Evening -News" m Napier, and later on the,i'Hawke's Bay Hterahl." From there he drifted to the "New Zealand Times,", and was accounted a Mr paragraphist; Then he went to Sydney and didn't set the harbor on fire.. Then he returned to Wellington as* manager of the "N.Z. Times." T"bis is his greatest claim) to distinction and publicity. But nowadays "Times" managers are given away with packets of tea, so that doesn't count much. Unless it is his bump of conceit, or whatever they call the bump that causes a brainless coot to think he's clever, thTs paper can't see why Hoben should be so anxious to let Palmer stbnians know that he conducts and edits his paper. It isn't much of a paper, anyhow, and no particular credit to anybody. "Truth" is not at any time given to personal abuse, and gout m the big toe is a fool to the pain the necessity foF these observations costs us. On one occasion, what time Mr Hoben was managing the "N.Z^ Times," this unfortunate rag had such, a sudden rise m circulation that it ran out of paper, and had not MSr Hoben came to. the rescue with sonic 20 odd reels there would have been half a million readers 'wrecking book shops from the Bluff to the Bay of Islands. After that action this paper felt convinced that chalk would make a black mark on HYjben. awd that is why we SUFFER MENTAL, AGoNY of an .acute character when we have to refer to his conceit, his cussed^ ness, his rattiness and asinine con" duct generally. In his younger days he was somewhat of a sport, and Ms name is not unknown, jn the history of Rugby football. l As a sport he should give everybody a fair deal and not join issues with the "fat" push, even if they do give him advertisements, against, a man who is working m the best interests of the town. 'No public mjan who has pet' formed his duties honestly and faithfully fears criticism, and no doubt M"r Essex, whom Hoben seems 'to hate with a whole-souled hatred, cares very little for the unpleasant things the* Manawatu rag has to say about him , and if the said rag only stuck to the truth he might even rejoice over^ the matter. But the "M. D-.T.," or ; Hoben, which is the same thing, has* n.o time for the truth m more senses than one. ; It or ho infers m the editorial before referred to that the letter signed "One Hundred and Twenty Odd Majority" which appeared m our last week's issue was written, by Mr Essex, and that he journeyed to Wellington for the expre/ss purpose .of; having it' inserted m this paper. The letter was not written by Mr Essex, nor was it -brought to this, office by him, ,and whoever says it was is the concentrated essence :of a scarlety. liar. The insinuation that Mr Essex ■ PANNED THAT PARTICULAR EPISTLE was no doubt calculated to damage him m the eyes of the ratepayers, but Hoben forgets that "Truth" has just as much weight m Palmerston as his rag, and Jet it be told right here that :< Truth" has a bob or two to , say that it can give the "Manawatu Times" a matter of about 15,000 start m circulation and then make no race of it. But this is not the end of the tricky "Times" treachery. In its report of the public meeting, wbicti was really got up to soft-soap gardener Smith,,, and thus give the Mayor a back-hander, the "Times" says, "The Municipal Hall was packed to the doors." The reporter, possibly thought he was writing a theatrical notice and just stuck down "packed house" from force of habit. Or perhaps, as Mr Hoben's name appears m the report, the scribe was instructed as to the number present. The report glorifies Smith the gardener and one Park, who keeps some sort of, a book shop m that unfortunate * village, and would have the public believe/ that the whole of the ratepayers were . present and were unanimous m their hatred of Essex, whereas if the meeting had been y correotly reported the report might have read somewhat as follows, "The Parksonian-cum-Smith-sonian cum Hobenian anti Essex clique met last night. After several: silly resolutions of no importance whatever had been carried the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman." All this despicable dodgery because Mr Essex refuses to be a tool m the hands of certain wire-pullers who want to run the Council for their own benefit and m • their own way. The p resent Mayor j put his hand to the plough the moment he took office, and, of course, nuuip enemies from the start. The