UNSIGNED PRESS LETTERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 55, 10 February 1916, Page 6

UNSIGNED PRESS LETTERS.

EDITOR DECLINES TO BE BULLIED. (Sydney Daily Telegraph). Broken Hill, February I.—During the last few days there has been much correspondence in the "Barrier Miner" both in favor of and against the miners' strike-.. = Many letters have been anonymous, and especially those adversely criticising the strike. This morning, after the A.M.A. mass meeting, a deputation from the mating headed by Mr G. Kerr, came to the "Miner" office:and requested an interview with the editor. There were about a couple of hundred men in the vicinity of the "Miner" office while the deputation was making its demands, and as many as could crowded into the editor's office and the passage leading to it. Mr Kerr said serious objection had been taken at the mass meeting to the unsigned letters that had been published in tlie "Miner," the belief of members being that they were concocted in the office. "We want you to give an undertaking to publish no more of them."

The editor: Do you take exception to the whole of the unsigned letters P Mr Jenkins: Those -published lately have been detrimental to our interests. They are the letters that we object to . The editor: Letters have been published on both sides. Do you take exception to those published in your favor also? .

Mr Gllfe's: AlT ; tff -them; it does not matter whether they are for or against us. We want the whole of them cut out.

The editor: You are seeking to take away the freedom -of the press.-, That is a very serious thing. Another deputationist: You are at-

tacking us. The editor: The man who says that I am attacking you and that the "Miner" is attacking you is a liar. I will not publish any unsigned letters that attack men personally, but when it comes to a question of principle every man in the community has a right to express himself. Mr Kerr: But why not make him put his name to it?, The editor: That is the protection of the weak against the strong. If a man thinks that he might be punished for writing certain letters he has the right to refuse to sign his name to them. You have letters in your own paper that- appear without the name of the writer. Mr Kerr: Yes, but we are just gtfing round to give the editor of that paper the same instructions.

Mr Kerr: Yes, but we are just gtfing round to give the editor of that paper the same instructions. The editor: You cannot give me any instructions. As -the person re- , sponsible for this paper I will accept no instructions from you or any other party not responsible. I will never be a party to the freedom of the press being assailed even while the strike lasts. I say that the destruction of the paper will come about before 1 will consent. 1 Mr Kerr: You absolutely decline to cease publishing unsigned letters. The editor: 1 cannot refuse to publish an unsigned letter if it is worthy of publication and is a bona tide letter. The editor added: You are getting the discredit of stopping the munitions i works, and now you are saying, "Stop the press." What are you going to do? What is the penalty for me not agreeing to do what you have asked me to do? Mr Kerr: You go over to the meeting to be held to-night and you will hear the commencement of the penalty. A deputationist: You can live and learn. The editor: 1 am sorry T cannot meet your views. While T am in charge here this paper will not be eontrolled from outside the office. The deputation then left. When seen later by a "Miner" reporter, Mr Kerr said that he had seen the editor of the Barrier "Daily Truth" and asked him to refrain from publishing unsigned letters in connection with the strike, and that the editor had agreed.