"TRUTH" WILL OUT!

NZ Truth, Issue 1214, 7 March 1929, Page 8

"TRUTH" WILL OUT!

Dr. Christie and His Friends ' Vain AttempisTo Prevent S Papers In Wariganui * DIVORCE : CASE REfiORT CAUSES STIII • Dr. H. H. Christie, of Wahganui, appears to have been a\ distinguished, member of that association which has very little knowledge of the eleventh commandment— Thou shalt not be found out. ' , : ' '• ; i When the cap of^puhlicity was about to be lifted, he toqk strenuous and sustained steps to flick it back, again, ere information--thirsty souls should learn idf his guilty amour with an Erstwhile Wdnganui lady. / s , : • He and his friends scurried around, had "Truth's " posters whisked out of sight, offered to purchase newsagent stocks, did all they could think of to snuff the narration of his being a divorced man, andnearl^ succeeded, only . . . ... > ...'■'..■' '•■/■. ■ . • ■ ■ ; " . ". ■ ' ' ■ ■ ' • ■.■■■•'■■.■ ■ / ■.'■•■ ■ ■ •.'■■ -. ; .■■■■''. :

IyEHIND that little word "Only" is fj a wealth of . intriguing circum- , stance and manoeuvring, subtlety and artifice, brushing- shoulders with anxiety, all linking hands towards the achievement of one purpose, for al- , though Prominence may sin, and, mayhap,: be discovered in the act> so to 1 speak, it is right and meet that Prominence as a social unit should be different from the Prominence w.hose misdemeanors are. likely to be bruited abroad, '•-.■. At any rate, those were the lines of argument evidently adopted by the doctor and. his associates. Both the daily papers in Wahganui — the . t'Herald" and the "Chronicle"— were horhswbggled^ into donning the mask of ignorance in relation to the medical man's misdeeds, since no mention was made ,in those journals of Mrs. Christie's application for divorce on .the grounds of misconduct, nor was the public, definitely aware of the true position until last week's issue of "N.Z. Truth" appeared, after a nuniber of vicissitudes, upon the local bookstalls. A scrutiny of the Supreme Court records would not have disclosed any information leading to the identification of the doctor as a ■: pending divorcee. ' Rumor Was Rife /'■**"■ ' • , . . . As subscribers' to the false doctrine that Prominence is a naine worthy, of suppression, the "Chronicle"- and' the "Herald" should, blush heavily, now. ;A stout tipper 1 , lip arid a decided refusal "to submerge their principles would have given them a much more settled feeling' in the pit of their respective newspaper stomachs. ; The "forces of suppression appear to have been dapably marshalled, for with the. solid front headed by the local dnily press, together with a man nnined Hounsell, acting as a variety of iinofflcial official of the local booksellers' association: and the bland, uninfo-ma-tlve face of the Supreme Court li.«t nf cases, there seemed every liK-^Hhorui that the devils of mischance which unmaslced Ejr. Christie had received the despatching stroke. ' ' ;Qf course, rumor was rife, but (here wns nothinpr definitely on record till "Truth's" story saw the liprht of day. It is a chiiracteristic of rumor to

twist things. In this instance it gave a twist too many when if commenced to whisper lustily m the . lowered ears of Wanganui that "Truth" had been squared. Strong representations were , made to the managing editor of this paper with the object of suppressing the Christie case, but, of course, without avail. So persistent was rumor that "Truth" had been silenced that some of the Wanganui newsagents wired to our Wellington office, asking if it were true. There was not the slightest vestige of . truth m the rumor, they were told. ';..'...: A writer on the head office staff -.was m the district, and It became conir. parativ.ely easy to secure certain fants relating to the adventures and misadventures, of the v doctor and his inamorata. y -•';',. A few days later the metalled narrative was clamped .securely to its 'bed qn the swif tly-moving. rotary press, and within -a few hours the story was speeding through its processes of dispatch arid transit. ; ■ MeanM-hilc, certain Wanganui people, aghast that this paper shou ld have had the .temerity to refuse suppression, hastily attempted 'to -, prevent

"Truth's." circulation, m their home town. Within 24 hours of the time Avhen the double-decker press commenced its first revolution, practically every newsagent' m Wanganui had been approached Avith an offer to buy every available , paper at its full. retail value. In almost all cases Dr. Christie or his representatives succeeded m securing the withdrawal of the posters relating to the story, but the agents positively refused to sell, en bloc the quota of papers allotted to them. .•'■'.-■ Persistency AA r as the keynote of the negotiators. Telephone messages^ personal calls' and all other available, means Avere . directed towards the quashing of the' story, but the general trend of ahsAvers Avas that agents had a definite obligation to their customers, and one Avhich must be satisfied. '. One agept, Avho Avas approached by the doctor himself, Avas offered a iump sum for the whole supply. Without hesitation; the agent. declined the offer. The questiori ..whether the agent Avould refrain .from shoAving the poster also came Avithin focus of the discussion, and it A\-as finally agreed that although the poster should be .with-.

held, the papers would have to be sold m the ordinary Avay. Hounsell, who is connected with the retail department of' A, D. Willis and Co., as well as being a ]>rominent mover m tne Booksellers' Association, also approached this agent, ,alth6ugn he took care to make it clear that it was as a personal friend of Dr. Christie's, and not as an official of the association, that he made the advances: ' - He," too, met with a rebuff, but a little later m the day he returned with a fresh offer to buy all the remaining copies of "Truth" at sixpence eacri, double the price mentioned by Dr. CniisLie, but again without avail. Practically* every newsagent was ' plied with similar propositions,, only to deliver the retort that re-y gular customers looked to them to maintain supplies, and they m- ■"• tended to sell the paper singly. W'tien the head , office of "N.Z. Truth" became aware of the position, the chief officer of the circulation department was,- dispatched by car to Wanganui with 500 extra copies of the, issue m question. One of the first bookshops he visited on arrival was that of A. D. Willis, whei-e he encountered Hounsell, the man Avhose declared friendship had

prompted him to n*tempt so much on TJr. Christie's behalf. "It has . been reported to us m Wellington that an attempt was made yesterday to buy Up all copies of ".Truth"'' ■•' here.' Have you had any negotiations m this regard?" asked the "Truth" man.. "Oh, no," was -Hounsell's reply. "This firm has .not beeri approached." "No, such proposition was made to your firm?" ; "No, none at all." " ' ■ , * I -, The same day the. 1 visitor made a few calls at the shops of other newsagents. When he remarked that it seemed peculiar \that' the firm of A. D. WilHs had' not been- approached by;, the negotiators of Dr. Christie,, some of the agents .exclaimed: "What! Hounseil is the man who approached us as a friend of the doctor's. He -plays tennis, with him, and all .sorts : of things.", Officials of A ; . D. Willis and , Co. made it clear that Hpunsell was acting, solely on his own behalf, and not' as- a member of- their, firm. : On Saturday morning it was reported that the. Mayor, Mr. W. J. Rog.ersT had suggested Vtha't the posters' should be withheld '■ from public view, arid ;wh,eri "Truth's" officer asked the ''Mayor if this .were true he readily 'admitted that it'Tvas.- ■ - ■';/'.-'■". 'Y.Y '-$/'■ ■'./■■■ - : ■'"WsLS. there anything incprporated m that poster which you' considered improper; Mr., Rogers?" was* the ques-; tion. . ' ',

."Absolutely ho," came the response, "I Avas actuated. by a desire to ease a heavy load of sorroAv Avhich had fallen to tlie lot of relatives of ..the parties concerned, and not by any desire to shieid the doctor because he is a prominent riian'from any punishment m the Avay of publicity his conduct may have merited." "The^ you do not think that because 'he is a doctor, 'who committed a breach of the moral laws, he is entitled to have',.. all publicity stifled, any more than any. of the common electors and citizens of this town?" }. ,' ; , '■ "No,, nor would I as Mayor be 'entitled to «ask that such punish-'' . ment' be lessened, and so long as . the law is what it-Ts, and we trans- ■ gress it, so must we be prepared ; to bear the punishment." ■'•'.-'■ After the "Truth" man had. returned fr.oih Wanganui a long statement . Avas received from Mr., Rogers, outlining his A'ie>vpoint of the situation. • "I Avas asked by al, citizen In deep sorroAv," he Ayrote, "if I Avould^ use my ■'effotts to induce the, Avithdrawal of two 'Truth' notice boards, one of Avhich was being displayed outside the Post Office, and the, other outside a book-

seller's window opposite the* . Post Office, drawing attention to a divorce case m the city. ' '. • "I unhesitatingly complied with the request made (because my human sympathy went out to those whom I knew were laboring , under a heavy burderi of '■- sorrow)-, and I freely accept my responsibility for having personally appioacned the bookseller and i neAvsvendor concerned, and making a request to have the notice boards removed. "I much appreciate the Very, prompt response to my request from the individuals concerned, who told me that they had not exhibited the first poster sent through.--,"My justification of. .my .action is that I had been -infoi'iried all the other booksellers had withdrawn their notice [boards, and 1 was actuated solely by a desire to help a number of highly respected citizens whom X knew- were bowed down with sorrow. -'" "It will be recognised that. in my important office, which of course I hold at the pleasure of citizens, I am brought into very close contact with;; the life of our citizens, and . | am being constantly appealed to for. help. "Wherever the appeal warrants help and it Is'within my power to help, I can

honestly say I have never refused to lend a helping hand, and I trust this spirit will always characterise my life. "With the merits or demerits of the particular case "which has called forth this statement • I am not immediately concerned, but without posing to .'be guardian of the morals of the people I unhesitatingly say that no good purpose can be served by the publication of details m divorce > cases which orily goes to make an appeal to the lower side of life. - - ' y . "I go further, and s'ay^it. is high time' that New Zealand: stepped into line with the English law, which I am given to ; understand forbids the publication of details iri connection with divorce cases. .; If niy action, the motives of which are "entirely above board, results m drawing public 'attention 1 to the of bringing the New Zea-land' law, into . line Avith the .English law m -connectiori with the publication of divorce cases, then the publicity' which I have not sought, will have been worth while. ' ''m coripiusion, 1. , ,Avish ' to make' it quite clear thftt my aqtion was entirely an indlviduaiyorie, ' aria m no way! col-" lectiveiy : associated .with,, the Git'y, Council", '■;'Jou : \riiay;'glye'thiß^-stiat ( ement the fullest publicity, • because I haye the . inward peace of mind that I did; right under the circumstances , as they "presented themselves to me, arid although I trust' it may never again be

necessary to face such a painful task, I should do exactly the* same were I faced, with similar circumstances." '. Mr.; Rbgers's> undoubtedly sincere open-hearted little, document is marred by superficial judgments, ' all the more unfortunate because they obviously came from the, heart without more than a cursory reference to- the mind. '.*.,' v _; V. ; Whether it has been .his considered opinion for some years that the publication of divorce proceedings was inimical to ; . the delicate condition of our public mind, or: whether his sympathetic heart welled over in such volumes as to obliteratr. his ; sounder judgment, one is unable to say] but the niean average opinion of lawyers throughput this and, other countries is completely at variance with his utterances on the subject. Would Mr. Rogers pass legislation calculated to restrict the. publication of divorce proceedings, yet serve only to inflate the statistics' of divorces? Since the legislation referred to by Mr. Rogers was passed by bo.th : -Houses at Westminster,' statistics of divorced persons has mounted .incredibly, and Higher Court, judges fn England \ave aghast at .the, number of ./cases in (which they are called upon to adjudicate. ■ '■', ••;■■ '< ■./ ■■ ■'.. ..s ' Hff '' ' 9 ' '~rt '■'■'■ *'■ '"■ '■' ' ■ '•'■ Mayor s Sympathy •The .Mayor- was astray in citing the. Christie case us an argument-in favor of the English Divorce Evidence Act. Under this .Act the publication of unsavory details Is pronibited; th6 sup-, pression of the names of >,the. parties, the causeof action and other essential facts is not prescribed. 'The object of the attempt to suppress "Truth's" report of the Christie case was to cloak all publicity, 1 especially the names, not merely the details. ■ _ Mr. Rogera's sympathy with the relatives of the parties in' tne divorce case, owing to sorrow they had been laboring under, which, he said, prompted, him to join in the r 'Truth" suppression movement, is to . be commended. If he is always actuated by , a similar motive in the discharge of his duties, Wanganul can call , itself fortunate in the possession of; a chief citizen of such a calibre. This is said in all sincerity. • - ■-' , ; When Mr. Rogers allowed himself ; . :> . •'."■./ ■ ; '•■ . ..-. V-; : iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiniiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiimiiiimms.

to be drawn. into the matter of such a vexed question as the suppression of a court case report, however, his sympathy outweighed his sense of propqrtio'n, and he exceeded his duty us Mayor.. y . '" .-' ■;.. ... "Truth" is no less sympathetic than Mr, Rogers m its attitude to all unfortunate domestic affairs; '■;■'. ' and it -derives no pleasure from, • the publication of reports of 'an unhappy nature. But, as" a responsible newspaper, its first obligation is to the public, and. it would be recreant to its duty ' .if .."it'/suppressed any report 0 r article, under any consideration.; : Persons who plead ' that publicity given to their wrongdoing causes pain to relatives should .. have taken, this aspopt into .- consideration 1 before the act, and not attempt to put the blame on newspapers who' record the wrongdoing afterwards. They., are them-l selves wholly 'to blame for any pain they cause their relatives. If judges, juries arid magistrates allowed themselves to be influenced by external considerations such as actuated Mr. Rogers, ; the administration I of justice would be a fax-ce, >