THE PRESS AS CRITIC

NZ Truth, Issue 1212, 21 February 1929, Page 6

THE PRESS AS CRITIC

Complaint of Unfairness From Sunny Timaru

(From "N.Z. Truth's Timaru Representative.)

Public men who sit on the Timaru Borough Council and generally take an interest m public affairs, have the eagle eye of a local newspaper ever on their movements, and they do hot like , it. ' ■■..•/ ' "■■ ' '"''■■■ " ■-■ ' '. V ■ :

NOT that they, as public men, object to criticism of- their civic administration and ' actions incidental thereto, but it would appear that the weighty criticism of the local leading article oracle is becoming too caustic and unjustly severe for the men who run the town. , ■ ■ ■ The newspaper m question lins been going groat guns m a persistent bombardment of disapprova.l against the works of the administration and "the impression has been created m some quarters that the press criticism has been, most rnjust and unfair. The' indignation .__ against this outspoken journal and its belittling criticism came to a head recently' at a t largely - attended meeting. Sixty business men of the town were present and they discussed municipal affairs. > At the meeting a good many things were said, which were not exactly complimentary to those interested m this certain journal. Indeed, some of them amounted to denunciation of the newspaper and its policy. The ears of its directors would have fairly sizzled had they been present to hear how much was thought of them from the negative point of viewResolutions, almost amounting to a vote of no-confidence m the newspaper, were passed as follow: — (.1) i*»iat thia large and representa-

tive meeting of Timaru business 1 men desires to place on record it's sincere .appreciation of the immense amount of work done on the Borough Council by those men who accepted nomination at the business men's request. (2) fi'hat we also, consider that greater consideration- should be given to- those gentlemen who 'give the best of their time and ability to serve the community as members of the council, and the thanks of the., public are due to the Mayor and councillors 'for!- the': large amount of. wprk they nave done and the time they have given m the public interest... (3) That it. is regretted that, too much publicity has . been given to . un- . necessary deta.l.3 — '■ — ' m council debates. (4) That, while recognising tue riglit to criticise the action of public men,. it is not m Ihe interests of the borough that those gentlemen, who -give of their best, should be unduly, and often unfairly, criticised, as it not only sickens them of public life, but creates a wide and harmful reflection on the good name of the council. The result of all this is that there Is a danger of the men most fitted to carry on the work of the borough not coining forward at the neit election. . Indeed, a few of them have already stated their disinclination to run another gauntlet such as they have come through.

A Few Brick Bats