[Enclosure.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2229, 21 October 1886, Page 3

[Enclosure.]

TO THE EDITOR ARQHA NKWS. Sir,— lt has been remaiked that during all the trouble re the domain board m:»nngement, that nothing has appeared in yqur columns in their defence. It has also been asserted as a reason, and I firmly believe it to be a true one, that no subject receives justice at your hands unless it agrees with your own views. This is a. serious assertion, and as I fully endorse it, I give facts to show how myself and others holding this opinion have received the impression, tion. First, your treatment of IVIr \V. A. Murray, of Piako, who some little time ago advanced his opinion on a matter of grave importance to each resident, viz the nature of. land tenure in Te Aroha, which is undoubtedly as he asserted one reason of the slow progress of this district. But instead of allowing the subject to be ventilated, you immediately jumped upon him by denying that it Wa^ as he stated, and imputed peisonal motives to him in advancing the subject, (have you no personal interest in objecting to the advertising?) and then had to admit that in some instances more oppiessive than he said, and followed this by refusing to publish his reply to your own own personalities. Second, your suppression of all Police Court news recently, when, for reasons best known to yourself, it suited you, and the following week, to vent your spleen, refer to one of the defendants in a cowardly manner. If, Sit*, you can suppress anything and everything which does not coincide with your notions, and are free to exhibit such an autocratic sphit in the management (?) of your journal, where, I ask, is the boasted freedom of the untrammelled Press ? Now, Sir, as one who disapproves of the action of the Domain Board in respect to three matters which have come before the public, viz., the overflow, Professor Cadmau's appointment, and the advertising, let me ask you, is it not a fact that yopr main objection in this last rumpus was, and is to the advertising, as it would be (properly managed) a decided and powerful opposition, while that of the public was mainly to the appointment of Professor Gadman ? I am of opinion, Sir, if the spirit I have portrayed was eliminated from yonr journal that the board would not evince such an utter disregard for the opinions it expresses, as the public would then make it a medium of advocating their wishes, and matters of general interest would be discussed in a fair and impartial manner. lam firmly convinced that the only way to have satisfactory relation between the board and the public is to take steps to render the board elective instead of nominative, and that even then a majority «f the present board would be found to possess the contidenco of the public, and would be elected by them. I have written strongly, as I consider you have only kept one phase of the boaid's doings to the fore, while your former actions would prevent any one relying or depending on them, and, further, that such aspiut is equally detrimental to the interests of our district with any mismanagement on their part. — Yours faithfully, Alpha.