CORRESPONDENCE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 130, 1 December 1908, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, — The following paragraph, will appear in the N.Z. Times on Monday, November 30, and at the request of Mr George Hunter, I have agreed to forward it to you. for publication. I shall be very much obliged if you can see your way to give, it insertion. I am, etc., PIERCE C. FREETH, Managing editor, N.Z. Times. In our issue of November 4tli, a statement appeared from a writer under the uom-de-plum'o "Veritas," in which it was set forth that Mr George Hunter, candidate for the Waipawa seat had been, waited iipon by a deputation of 16 publicans, and asked to contest the election on behalf of the Opposition. We have been waited uj>on'by/Mr Hunter, who assures us that the statement is untrue. He says that he happened to be in Waipukurau. when a meeting of publicans was being held there, but beyond making a casual Tenrark to two of the delegates, he held no communication with them. Mr Hunter represents that the publication /of the letter injuriously affected his. candidature, said that it was false and malicious. In view of these representations we cannot do. ""other than make the amende honorable and express our regret that the- letter was allowed to .appear.. This incident confirms usiin our subsequently expressed resolution to refuse publication in future of all anonymous letters referring to the candidature of politicians. It is regrettable indeed that any person should deliberately distort facts in order to obtain a political advantage. There was a great deal too much of this sort of thing going on in connection with the last election. The most sinister and cruel libels were circulated "in regard to prominent figures in! the political world ; and the.pity of it is that the chief offenders were ignorant or unprincipled women canvassers. .

The Hon. R. McNab has gone to Sydney to resume historical research work on which he has been engaged for some time. A careful count of the number of unoccupied houses in Masterton at ' the present'time gives a total of 64.The effect of this is that many tenants of occxvpied dwellings are -demanding and receiving reductions in their rentals.— Daily Times.