MR. FITZHERBERT'S CAMPAIGN.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1919, Page 4

MR. FITZHERBERT'S CAMPAIGN.

CHARGE OF BIAS. Hawera, Yesterday. Kindly publish this telegram:— I have read your Teport of Labflr'j Patea meeting, and it is the most vin> dictive report it has ever been my,mis< fortune to read. It is practically a tissue of falsehoods from commencement to end. We had Patea'a largest political meeting of this election. "Little -Mac" and 1 were well received. Both were given an attentive hearing, and the meeting terminated amid the utmos* good feeling, a favorable motion and three cheers for Labor. iam mori than sorry that the press of this Dominion is given over to falsehood. I liavi had a good hearing right through th< piece and am more than satisfied." PAT FITZHERBERT. [The report was necessarily conllned to the salient points of the speech. Much of the matter had to ho omitted, but, so far as we are aware, not so as ta misrepresent the speaker. If .Mr. Fitzlmrbert will definitely point out any inaccuracies in the report itself we shall be pleased to rectify them—Ed.]

Sir,—Your report of the Patea meeting. addressed by Messrs Mcllvride and Fitzherbert, is a distortion, Interruption there were, but they were mostly good natured, and in any case came from' only tour or five people in a meeting which was the largest held at Patea during tin present political campaign. To cut out xhe main part of the context of the addresses and to give onlv certain interjections is surely not 'fair journalism. The fact that the meeting ended with hearty cheers for Labor and a call for cheers for Liberalism, met with onlj a very faint response, as even your reporter had to admit, surely shows the feeling of the meeting.—l am, etc mm, • * l P-O'DEA. [lh e main features of Mr. Fitzhcrberts opening speech at Hawera had already been reported in our columns, and on y new matter and questions were of public interest. This our reporter endeavored to give in the column of spaci to which he was limited.—Ed.]