VIOLATING A CONFIDENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 5 December 1913, Page 4

VIOLATING A CONFIDENCE.

Tho New Zealand Times has excelled itself. This time it has secured possession of a "confidential" circular that has been sent to some person, who evidently does not "know how to respect a confidence, suggesting that he (the person.) should endeavour to strengthen the hands of the Government in the present crisis by arranging, if possible, for the passing of a strongly-worded protest against the action of the Opposition in holding up the business of Parliament by means of a "stonewall.'" It appears that the confidential circular was sent out by the Secretary of"the Reform Party. !VYiiy it should have been marked "confidential" we cannot understand. It was a perfectly legitimate circular for anyone to issue, in the circumstances. But when a. person deliberately violates a confidence, and is encouraged in this violation by an allegedly reputable newspaper, it is time that steps were taken to vindicate fne honour of the press of the Dominion. The action of the New 'Zealand Times is as disgraceful as is the conduct of the person who has been guilty cf a wanton

breacu ot confidence. So far as the circular itself Is concerned, it; is more than justified by fhe . circumstances. It certainly does not possess the same humour as the tele'grams that were despatched some months ago to the "faithful" along the Main Trunk Line, suggesting that they assemble at the various railway stations and "demonstrate" ?n favour of Sir Joseph Ward as he passed through! .