CORRESPONDENCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4362, 19 January 1909, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

(We are not responsible for the opinion expressed by our correspondents.)

[To the Editor.] SlB, —Your contemporary, the Te Aroha Mail, is evidently now tired of bi littleing the efforts of the people of Te Aroha to make their town attractive to visitors on New Year’s Day, and heads his article, in issue of Mail of the 'l6th inst., “In Defence of Te Aroha ” Why this sudden change of front ? The stage has certainly lost a good actor in Mr C. F. Spooner. “ The lightening change man ” could not hold a candle to C.F.S. His last right- j about turn movement is nothing. Let any one read your issue of December 22nd, 1908, and see how this lightening change —electric spark - editor turns round on the liquor party after supporting them during the Election. He, Mr Spooner, did not consider it creditable to the A. and H. Association to have a publican’s booth on the grounds at all It should be done away with. Well, let us see what all this talk about “ Defence of Te Aroha ” amounts to. An anonymous writer, who signs himself “ Traveller ” in issue of the Dominion of 6th inst., is alleged to have written a letter running down Te Aroha and the Government Tourist Department. Mr Spooner says, “We are under the impression that the writer was not a casual visitor, but a resident, who owns nothing in the town and has no interest whatever in its progress (evidently from Mr Spooner’s point of view, no one can act from a sense of right or justice, money, like a certain five shillings, must effect the actions of all). From these words one would certainly conclude that Mr Spooner has so strong an idea of who the writer is, that the idea amounts almost to a certainty. If this is the case, I say he can have very little courage if he will not, in defence of Te Aroha, let the public know who the writer is. Funny, that Mr Spooner is a resident, owns no property in Te Aroha outside his newspaper, and that corres • pondence has appeared in the Te Aroha Mail signed “Traveller.’ These facts, are to say the least of them, funny. Fancy eight or nine days passing before the supposed up-to-date editor of the Te Aroha Mail tells us about this letter. For my part, I would like to see it in print before taking all that is said about it as gospel. Would you Mr Editor kindly try and get a copy published in your reliable paper ; then the public will / know it exists. Mr Spooner ends up his “ Defence of Te Aroha ” as follows: — “ If the wiiter of this tissue of lies is a Te Aroha resident and his identity becomes known we imagine he would have a particularly b;ul time.” With this I am sure all agree, and if his name comes out I hope he may get a bad time, but then why does he deserve a worse time than an Editor, who living in Te Aroha, belittles its Fire Brigade Sports, makes statements against its Committee, and hints that its Secretary does not stick to the truth. jVhat des a resident who commits all these offences against the town and its p< ople deserve ? If Mr Spooner had the courage of a sheep he would have apologi-ed to the Fire Brigade Sports Committee for his remarks about them and their Secietary long ago, and they good fellows as they are, would, I am sure, have th ught no | more about the matter. A sure sign of a brainless Editor, and a weak new - . paper, is, when one finds statements | made in it which afterwards cannot be proved. Some times a man takes a large sized hat, but it does not follow that the I head under it contains a corresp mding amount of brain matter, in fact some editors arc quite clownish in their attempts to place news before the public. Twice I have told Mr Spooner through the medium of your newspaper, tint he cannot substantiate the statements made about ths Fire Brigade Sports Committee and their Secretary. I tell him so again now for the third time and defy him to do so. “Man’s lights enforce, his wrongs redress,” these words appear in Mr Spooner’s paper in each publication, let him prove to the public of Te Aroha that he carries them out by redressing the wiong >he has done. If be cannot do this then he ought to pack up the Te Aroha Mail and “ move on.” I N understand Mr Spooner will not stand for Mayor at the election in April next as the work of the municipality can be carried out without him. I am, etc., K. F. W. Lyons-Montgomkry