Sir Joseph Ward.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 697, 13 October 1909, Page 6

Sir Joseph Ward.

HIS AUCKLAND RECEPTION. A DENIAL OF HOSTILITY. Oo Monday the Auckland correspondent of the ' Lyttelton Times' telegraphed as follows:—Theie is not a scintilla of tiuth in the statement telegraphed to the Opposition papers that Sir Joseph Ward received a cold and hostile reception. The streets were lined with thousands of people, and the Prime Minister was received cordially and enthusiastically. The ' Star ' in a stinging leader, attributes the statements to political malignity, and says:—" Our attention has been drawn to certain statements in Friday's i ? sue uf the ' Dominion ' purporting to give an account of Sir Joseph Ward's reception iu Auckland, and with eveiy desire to preserve the amenities of journalistic life we are reluctantly compelled to characterise the ' Dominion's ' alleged account of the proceedings as for the most part a malignant and unblushing falsehood. The • Dominion' publishes its information as from its Auckland special correspondent,' but we would require very specific evidence to convince us that any journalist who witnessed the reception here on Thursday composed this precious farrago of flagrant absurdities and downright lies." After quoting from the * Herald's' report of the reception proceedings, as showing what took place, according to an Opposition paper, the «Star' concedes :—" Having placed the ground for our opinion befoie our readers we repeat that this bogus account of the Prime Minister's reception is a deliberate perversion of fact, as dishonorable to the political reputation of the Opposition as it is disgraceful to the journal that perpetrated it."