Patea County Mail. PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1880. TO THE PUBLIC.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 540, 1 July 1880, Page 2

Patea County Mail. PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1880. TO THE PUBLIC.

The Patea Mail has become the property of Mr Edward Houghton, who came to Patea three months ago with the object of taking sole management of this journal, under a provisional arrangement to purchase it at the end of that period, if satisfied with the commercial position of the property, and with the permanent prospects of the district. Being now satisfied that the Mail is a commercial success; and being convinced of the permanent prosperity which is likely to attend upon, industry, integrity, and judicious enterprise in this district, Mr Houghton has ratified the bargain previously made, and takes the responsibility of the Mail from this day forward. The continuance of management will render any change of policy unnecessary. As the Mail has been during the past three months, so it will continue. There has been neither dictation nor in-

fluehce during that period. The retiring proprietor left the then manager loyally free and untrammelled ; and any errors, shortcomings, or other .peculiarities which marked the Mail during the past three months must he set against Mr Houghton, and not be attributed to Mr Joseph Ivess.

The new proprietor of the Mail has made his introduction to the public of Patoa County under these circumstances. He hopes now to be received as no longer a stranger, but as one of yourselves. He is sensible of the kindness shown to him by those residents whose acquaintance be has made, and by some from whom ho had no reason to expect indulgence. He desires to say that, as every man must have a hobby, his will bo found in an unselfish devotion to the highest duty of journalism, and this he understands to be the advocacy of the best interests of the people among whom and for whom he labours.

As to opinions and policy, a plain statement may avoid misunderstanding. It is intended to make the Mail a County Newspaper, and it has been reregistered as the Patea County Mail. The tone of the paper during the last three months will have indicated this intention to discuss local interests as being the common interests of the County of Patea; Breadth and generosity are desirable in dealing with the affairs of a scattered population, whose local differences are apt to devclope jealousies, unless treated in a spirit of candid tolerance. The Mail will identify itself with the political and commercial interests of the County as a whole, and local selfishness shall have no place in its advocacy. The politics of the Mail are intended to be wholly free from partisanship. Long and responsible acquaintance with politics has induced a hearty disgust of the selfishness, the meanness, the unfairness, the downright dishonesty of partisanship. The Mail will be Liberal or Conservative according to the particular question, and not at the interested bidding of a coterie of politicians who manoeuvre for power and pay. Any mistakes in our political advocacy will be the result of honest error, to be rectified as soon as discovered. Individual politicians who may approve or not the independent tone of our advocacy will be good enough to observe that there are no interests or influences in or about this journal other than those for which the Editor is personally accountable. He has no selfish ambition to gratify. His twenty years of active connection with journalism has removed prejudices ; and if he sometimes presumes on this experience, it will be in no vain spirit. Finally, the Mail will not be subject to those changes and uncertainties which arc matters of the past. It is free from all external control. Its management is intended to be marked by vigor and liberal enterprise. With the growth of the district, the Mail will bo farther enlarged. The time is probably not remote when the Patea County Mail, now in its sixth year of existence, will be published as ailaily morning paper.