THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1914. THE PRICE WE PAY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 183, 31 March 1914, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1914.

THE PRICE WE PAY.

" We nothing extenuate, nor set down auaht in malice."

When the "Times'' was first established we promised the people that we would give full and impartial reports of public proceedings in order that every tax-payer might know exactly what was happening in their public affairs. With an experience of nearly a quarter of a century in public affairs we knew that occasionally wo would haTe to pay the price. During the last few weeks a Ratepayers' Association has been playing a prominent part in municipal politics. Between this body and the Borough Council unfortunately a certain amount of friction has arisen. This is to be regretted for we believe a ratepayers' association can do a vast amount of good. We bavo not questioned the method of forming the association anymore than wo have expressed any opinion on the method adopted by the Council in handling the situation. At its last meeting a letter was received by the Borough Council signed W. S. Russell, chairman of the Ratepayers' Association. In accordance with our policy that letter was published in full; so were the comments that were made at the Council meeting. It was only fair that tho ratepayers not belonging to the Association should know what the body claiming to speak for them said, and what position the Council took up. It was better that the truth should be made public rather than that street corner gossip should magnify the proceedings into undue proportions. On Monday Mr Russell, the chairman of the Association, rang up this office and protested verv violently against our report, Hc'did not and could not question its accuracy, nor could he say that the report "was in any way unfair. Still he was so angry that the matter was published that he threatened to promote a campaign amongst our advertisers asking thorn to withdraw their business from the ''Times" by way of punishment for having done what it was our clear duty to do. Mr Russell was too disturbed to reflect that if tho •' Times" had not published the report the Borough Council could at once have said : " You suppressed that report because you were afraid Mr Rus sell would stop his advertisement,'' and the members of the Council who have business announcements in the paper, could have ordered us to stop "their" advertisements, because we did not report what they said. Which is just as logical as Mr Russell's objection to having the report published. Mr Russell's letter came to hand promptly withdrawing his advertisement. In the same way there came letters of withdrawal from several others. | To two or thivo of these to whom we have spoken there ha 3 been a denial that Mr Russell's boycott had anything to do with the withdrawals at all. We can only accept these statements, but it is unfortunate that the letters coincide with the boycott campaign. We do not desiro to add anything further than to say that the instructions will ho duly attended t<>. It is only fair to point out, however, that as soon as Mr Russell assumed a public position he was bound to accept the responsibility of public criticism. Besides our policy of publishing full reports, whenever the matter appeared to bo in the public interest, we have always urged that local trading should be locally done. In connection with our recently installed lighting service we put the work in Mr Russell's hands, not withstanding that we had an offer from au opposition lirm in Auckland to do the work more cheaply and to "take out" a failpart of the cost in advertising. We favoured tho local man although it was distinctly disadvantageous to do so. As our reward for local loyalty, we have lost Mr Russell's busiuess and tho Auckland businoss as well. If we those to accept thorn wo could -i.'t boot advertisoiueuts, saddlery advertisements, harness advertisements, uud similar advertisements calculated to pull busiuess to Auckland . and mo could, if we witkod. replace every advertisement withdrawn within tho present week. But in our opinion that would not be tho way to mako for the progress of Pukekohe. Country newspapers are peculiarly liable to boycott if they have any .ettl'.'d Pulny au'l any baikbi-ut

When a report of public proceedings is about to be put in print we do not say : " Now, if we publish this, will So-and-so withdraw his advertisement and institute a boycott against us?" If wo did that there would never be any full, fair and impartial reports published at all. If Mr; Russell had a paper what would he do in such a case? Would he report everything favourable to the case of Russell and Company and suppress everything unfavourable to it ? We cannot imagine a papor, or a company of people, can seriously hope to satisfy everybody a'l the time. There would only Lo one end for such an undertaking—Smash ! la any case such a paper would die its death so far as its public usefulness was concerned. As we stated on two previous occasions the "Times" will not bend according as the wind blows and we have every confidence that in this attitude we will be strongly supported by every fair-minded reader and advertiser. Neither have we the slightest douht at all that the " Times " will win out. On two occasions during the past two years we have suffered losses in business bocause of our determination to serve the whole people aa against individual interests and individual desire. This is the third attempt to muzzla the "Times." But if It were the one-hundred-and-third "stop my paper," or "stop my sd." instruction the policy of the "Timei" and the "Times" itself would still go on unwaveringly. So long as a paper fulfils its public mission fairly, stings of the kind referreJ to, although they may be irritating, are never fatal. We have fully made up our minds to keep our chart set to a definite journalistic course, and when on the way and in our honest erdeavour to serve tha public good we encount?r boycotts of this kind we are not only able, but what is more we are willing lo Pay the Price.