TAIHAPE LIBELLED.

Taihape Daily Times, 21 March 1918, Page 4

TAIHAPE LIBELLED.

A .letter over the signature or Pierce C. Freeth • in our correspondence columns to-day is, we regret :o say, a libel on.the people of Taihape. What he states about himself and Mr. Garnet Holmes we know nothing, but what is said. about Taihape people's want of humane consideration for the refugees from Raetihi is pure moonshine, and is little short of a daring, unpardonable speculation. Of course, it was very good of Mr. Freeth to motor all the way from Palmerston North to Taihape to give assistance to refugees as they arrived here from devastated localities, and we had done him the injustice or thinking that he had come here rather for what he could get than for what he could give. Mr. Freeth is a very enterprising journalist, not a representative of the Red Triangle. He may, however, calm his fears; there is no occasion for bleeding hearts about any want of either sympathy or generosity in Taihape people. In fact, we believe they have established a rather creditable Dominion record in the exercise of these very virtues. Whether Mr. Freeth based his remarks upon information or assumption they have neither value or point, owing to the lack of that essential, truth. We may relieve him from any concern he feels about this community's remissness by assuring him that before he arrived in Taihape with Mr. Garnet Holmes on his mission of mercy, its sympathy had already taken a concrete form, had materialised into bread, meat, clothing, medicines, and various other comforts, and that representative Taihape men had journeyed to Ohakune and Raetihi and were actually engaged in doing what Mr Freeth says they entirely omitted to do. We hope and trust that other visitors do not see Taihape through similar eyes to those used by our correspondent; true vision is preferable to wild imaginings; it is not so liable to evoke contempt and resentment. Mr. Freeth probably did not know that a relief fund had been commenced before he arrived; that the Mayor of Taihape had conferred with leading citizens on the subject; that money was at the time of his visit on the way from Taihape to the - Are zone; that huge supplies of human necessities and many comforts were already being distributed amongst the sufferers. But then, this community cannot expect every visitor to see it as it is... •<;