AN INQUIRY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 93, 11 April 1914, Page 5

AN INQUIRY.

[To The Editor Stratford Post.l Sir, Have we as a people a passion for'the'truth? If a passion for the truli he a Dominion characteristic, how is it that the great party newspapers of this counry live and flourish ! Read Reform and Liberal leading articles upon political questions; read opposing party organs’ reports of any important political meeting. Pass under review the unceasing party misrepresentation, tho acrimony, the uncharitableness, tho never-ending presentment of partial truths and false deductions, and mark if these evils cannot bo traced, in the last resource, to the non-existence of a national passion for the truth. When groundless jubilation spread over tho land last February at the apparently surprising success of our 4) million loan, subscribed more than six-fold at £100) within two hours of tho closing of the lists, which of our Cabinet Ministers raised a hand in deprecation ? Which of them with that candour which should he an inseparable adjunct of high office, was fearless enough to step forward with a full declaration of tho facts, for the information of tho masses who are responsible for loan repayment and annual merest charges! - Would it have boon political wrong-doing to have openly avowed that this was not a long-dated loan. That it was an issue of ten year' debentures, optionally convertible within five months into 19-13-63 stock. That the “douceurs” inducing such conversion were firstly—each debenture of £100) to ho replaced by £lO2 of -1 per ceut. inscribed stock—a clear gift of £1 10s, and secondly—the payment of a full half-year’s interest on the Ist August, although tho dates of instalment payments under which tho loan was issued were as follows:—£s on Ist February, £l7 10s on 9th February, £2O on 24th February, £2O on 24th March, £2O on 27th April, and £lB on 26th May. Success was bought. The loan conversion was fully accomplished. This is but an incident, a costly incident it is true, hut the matter of enduring importance is:— Were tho national character permeated by a passion for the truth, suppression of the truth would meet with swift punishment and a political party which failed to regard a passion for tho truth ns the chief weapon in its fighting equipment could not succeed.—l am. etc., VIGILANB. Whangamomona. 10th April, 1914.