THE LIBERTY PETITION.

Taihape Daily Times, 21 November 1917, Page 4

THE LIBERTY PETITION.

To the Editor,

Sir, —In your issue of Saturday I read a somewhat interesting account of the reception the petition of Mr Hunter received at the hands of the Bor o ugh Council. As one of the signatories to the petition, I would like to offer some comments on the attitude of the Council. While complimenting the members who supported the resolution to reopen the case, it is regrettable that the martyr pose should have been effective in again shelving the question. In order to give an opportunity for persons whose evenings during the week are taken up with social and other meetings to attend a lecture on the subjects proposed by Mr Hunter, Sunday night was chosen by him for this hence his petition. The assertion that the wording of the petition was of an insulting nature —and it is quite easy to have a different opinion as to that contention—induced a sympathetic v o te to again side-step the issue. In their , manner of dealing with, this question are the Council ..working solely in the interests of the citizens or are they giving . expression to their own personal prejudices? Are they always so careful where the rights 01 the public are involved? Did they take their eloquence o ut for an airing when the Board of Trade held a sitting in Taihape to inquire into questions which are of vital imports ance to the citizens? If they did make any move to assist in combating the increased cost of living it was not made -while the proceedings of the Board were open to the' public. So, in the absence of evidence to the contrary/ it must be assumed that tUSy lost a golden opportunity of showing that they are in reality the guardians of the rights of the . Community. It must be humiliating to the Council that the- pertinacity of a loquacious gentleman prompted him to in some measure counteract the neglect of our civic fathers by an endeavour to assist the B o ard in their search for a remedy to meet the ever increasing cost of the necessaries of life. This loquacious gentleman aired his eloquence before the Board, and was complimented there on, the members of which evidently did not consider that the evidence he gave was rot, o r that they were pandering to popular clamour in accepting it. Mr Hunter undoubtedly justified his citizenship by endeavouring to do some sma* service to the community, and it surely cannot be contended that he did it for any personal gain, pecuniary 0 r otherwise, as he gave his own time, losing his pay, with no other object than a desire to do a service to his generation. From this it can be fairly assumed that he had a like object in asking for a permit to lecture on a Sunday evening and has been prevented by an unsympathetic Borough Council from doing that which he considered to be of benefit to his class.—l am, etc. t TOLERATION.