PENNY HEADINGS.

Southland Times, Issue 1052, 6 November 1868, Page 2

PENNY HEADINGS.

(to thb editob os THM.ajivxsLvm rant) Sib—- "Will you oblige me with a little space on the subject of the Penny Beadings. I have read Mr SmithY published explanation of his reason for resigning his office as a member of the 1 1 Managing Committee, and conclude therefrom that he has good grounds for complaint. I suppose the rule of censorship as regards original papers fnrnished for reading— to be .exercised by the Committee is, that such contributions shall be either admitted intactaltered with the consent of the author-T---or rejected as unsuitable. Was this rule — which I think is the recognised rule of censorship in. all kindred societies— 1 acted upon in Mr. Smith's case? lan* dentlynot. Why was the departure allowed ? Was the mutilation the work ; of the Committee— or as Mr Smith assumes that of Mr Irvine ? This is the question, because although a member of the Executive, Mr Smith in this" instance could not exercise censorship, the production being his own. It is unlikely if the Committee deemed the production to need revision, that they would hare taken the liberty or committed the absurdity of handing it over to Mr Irvine to revise and amend. Without intentional disrespect I submit there are ; few persona capable of amending original writings. Nearly every public writer has a style not merely of phraseology, but of thought, preculiarly his own. 1 lop off weakens, to Interpolate, seriously • damages, and to modify language adopted as the organ . of thought directed in < its entirety to any given subject will assuredly destroy the unity of the piece. Mr Smith's published writings have been ' singularly free from bitterness— although occasionally pungent— so that it is vat to suppose there could not havebeenmuck the matter. An explanatitn is certainly , desirablethat the saddle may be put on the , right horse. I hear the Penny Headings . are £13 in debt— wonderful if true— a nd ( here the same question crops dot, where does the responsibility lit? ' Rumor says that . one of the Executive . without the knowledge of the rest, has made the Society responsible for expenses incurred, which ought not to have been ■ incurred. I have heard— 'but do , not :> > vouch, for the truth — that a performer at > the last entertrinment mulcted the funds 1 to the extent of 17s 6d for cab hire. f Now considering that the last evenings ; gathering was for a charitable purpose* l I scarcely think that any respectable per-; i son would have stooped to an action of [ this description, but if this has been , usually done, no wonder that the funds , are unequal to the expenditure. The sooner a meeting is called, that the public may know Where the blame rests, the better; The Society needs reorganising no doubt. ' It is a pity that a valuable institution should suffer from 7 the indiscretions of any individual.— l am .. 1 &c, .. „. ■„ ... . Bkuaa. /) '< November sth, 1868,