STRAIGHT TIP

NZ Truth, Issue 1189, 13 September 1928, Page 6

STRAIGHT TIP

: - ■ ■____ = ■ ■ Hush Money ■■{ 3 N6yTemptation

: .There' are still 'a" number of ; sceptical people, particularly, the 1 supposed ''better- 1 people, who beHeve that' every man has his price, that many a" newspaper editor : bows to the..-gifts - ..-gifts of Croesus or . will succumb ; to the subtle bribe of promised advertising. "Please . s don't mention my name," they say. OR: "I'd like to have my name kept out. Perhaps you could alter it . from 'Davis' ' to 'Da vies' ? No one would know' and then my family would be shielded from the awful .-stigma'- of publicity." . ' And when the editor queries^' "Why do you ask this of me?" they* invar i- , ably reply: "Oh, well, you know, my husband is such-and-such- m this or that, you see, and.it would be : awful • to see one's name connected with .such an affair, would it not?" . .-•'.. ' There is also the less subtle type of ; wrongdoer who is an executive m > : some corporation or other, who calls. He says, quite frankly; "I simply daren't face the publicity, Mr. Editor '. .'" and I /think that if you showed your customary forbearance m . such matters, as you did m the case of Mr. Blank, niy firm would seriously consider the formulating of a large adver- - tising contract with your paper. ! "For a long time now we: have been watching your paper and we have - ' ,come to the conclusion that an, extensive, campaign would be very beneficial . -. to our interests." .' , ■'...'' And so on. .■-..'.'.-. During the sessions of the, Supreme Courts throughout the country— and, , m fact, almost daily throughout the .' year — the literary staff of "N:Z. .Truth" ' is besieged . with applications, .both „ written and personal, for -the suppression "or mutilation of names, so that , some, cringing, purse-proud individual may escape the punishment whi^h hei or she has merited. TURNED DOWN Some anticipate the decision of the editor by approaching other members of the literary staff, loosening the ' - purse-strings and striving to sharpen their cupidity with the tempting ring of jingling gold, avowing their discretion and adding the assurance that not a soul shall know. Sheer imagination? Not at all; but for the discomfiture of certain people, = we would subscribe a few examples of what we mean. To those who have fractured the law, either legislative or ethical, we commend the opinion that "N.Z. Truth" . has no cognisance of social degree m the assessment of wrongdoing and it is suggested that any attempt at throttling the sensibilities of its staff members Is neither subtle nor m good taste. . ■ v In the spirit of notices one often observes m small shops: "Dp not • ask fo,r -suppression, for refusal often offends." In other words: Please do not seek to bribe us! .