THE "HERALDS" REPLY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13009, 10 January 1908, Page 5

THE "HERALDS" REPLY.

: Tlip editor of the -'Herald" replies ! to Mr (Jarvin'tistatwnetu. as follows: — I Tho .statements in the "Herald" as to' acts ot indecency committed in the pub- j lie srreeto on .New Year's Kve represent \ the facts, despite the. contradiction by ! tiie police. The offences were far more ! grave than it is possible to report. Members of the "Herald"' staff were eye-witness's of .some of the acts referred to. Besides members of the "Herald" erafi', wo have the testimony of persons in whose truthfulness the public ran place rolianeo. Further- i more, the correspondence received by the. '"Herald" from reputable citizens; I i-> a coniplHe confirmation of our re-! porr. Finally, wo are privately as-j Mind by ilm police, who state they are j in peril, a.iul certainly ore in fear 'if j loosing their positions, that the "Herald" report i.s accurate. Tho statement denied by Mr Garvin. tJiat some prisoners were* jostled away from the police by an organised mob, is based absolutely upon police information. The fact that the outbreak of lawlessness and indecency i< a reflection on the police administration is regrettable; hut there is this mitigating circumrtance. that it. was tho first time in the history of Sydney that a public fote degenerated into a sa.turuali«, and tho authorities could therefore have no previous knowledge of what wa.s likely to occur. The object of tho "Herald' , is not sensation: we have no brief for or against the officials concerned; hut w-e have Io report things as they ore. and draw attention to this terrible public scandal, so that a recurrence may be prevented.