CRITICISM OF REPORTS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22073, 22 April 1937, Page 10

CRITICISM OF REPORTS

REPLY TO TIMARU ALLEGATIONS "STATEMENTS DEVOID OF TRUTH" [THE PRESS Special Service] TIMARU, April 21. A letter received from the Editor of "The Press" in reply to statements made by Mr J. Anstey, a member of the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce about reports of a recent Timaru wool sale, was placed before members at a meeting of the chamber this evening. After a discussion, at the end of which Mr Anstey said that there was no need to take the matter further, the letter was "received." The letter from the Editor of "The Press" dated March 18, is as follows: "In 'The Press' this morning appears a report of a meeting of your chamber at which a statement was made by Mr J. Anstey, that 'he had noted that the Christchurch newspapers had not reported that the Timaru wool sale was the best in the Dominion.' "I should be obliged if you would draw the attention of your chamber, and particularly of Mr Ansjey, to the first paragraph of the introduction to the report of the Timaru wool sale which appears in 'The Press' of Tuesday, March 16. I would suggest that you explain carefully to Mr Anstey the meaning of the paragraph since he appears to be incapable of interpreting it himself. "During the last few months detrimental public statements have been made by members of your chamber about the Christchurch newspapers which have had as little foundation in fact as that made by Mr Anstey. "May I suggest that those of your members who are accustomed to making such statements be asked to make some attempt to verify their facts before giving utterance to statements that are utterly devoid of truth." The paragraph referred to in the letter was as follows: "Wool sold better at the second Timaru sale to-nignt than at any New Zealand sale so tar tliis season. Bidding was more animated, demand more widely "spread and insistent than at any previous auction, and prices all round were distinctly firmer that at Christchurch on Friday." Mr Anstey's Reply "Since my name has been mentioned j I have the right to speak," said Mr! Anstey. "The Editor of 'The Press* has lost his temper," He added that the Editor had not| dealt with the points raised by him at a previous meeting when he had complained of unfair reports in the Christchurch newspapers about the iniantile paralysis and the conduct of sports in Timaru. The Christchurch press had stated that better prices were being received for wool in Christchurch than in Timaru, the object being, no doubt, to attract wool from Timaru to Christchurch. Such statements ap-.| peared only a few days before the Timaru and Christchurch sales. The points raised by the speaker had not i been touched by the Editor of "The! Press." "He does not give facts but I did," Mr Anstey said. He had also mentioned at a previous meeting that part of a clip of wool sold in Timaru had brought ljd a pound more than the part of the same clip sold In Christchurch. The chairman. Mr J. M. Jenkins: I must ask you to confine your remarks to the letter before us. Mr Anstey: The Editor has not dealt with the points I raised. It was rather a pity,. he added, that "The Press" did not mention the matter he had brought up. Mr J. H. Sinclair Thomson asked who were the interested parties in the propaganda said to emanate from Christchurch. Mr Jenkins: There have been no such remarks made by the chamber. Mr W. M. Sexton said that the letter had been written on only part of I what had been said, which had lost some of its context. The wrong view had been taken of what Mr Anstey had said. Mr Anstey said that the day after his remarks were made "The Press" agreed that the imoroved prices at Timaru were due to better classification There w/as no need to take the matter further. The letter was received.