An Editorial Essayist

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32322, 13 June 1970, Page 4

An Editorial Essayist

Graceless Islanders. By M. H. Holcroft. Caxton Press. 243 pp. As an editorial essayist, M. H. Holcroft possessed two substantial virtues: he was always forceful and he was always right. This is not as ridiculous an assertion as it sounds. For the editor of a national weekly, the concept of what is “right” can be flexible, since his standard of “rightness" is based on informed public opinion, which it is his job to gauge. Thus, for a writer like Mr Holcroft, with one finger continuously on the public pulse, it was possible to provide a quick diagnosis of any fluctuations and write them up in terms of national ailments. It is almost a platitude to observe that general social change moves more slowly than changes in public opinion, but it was simply by capitalising on this time-lapse that Mr Holcroft established himself as the “pace-setter” in ethical transition. A small section of the public might voice a grievance, Mr Holcroft would, assess their case, write an editorial, provoke a correspondence, and by the time the anomaly was rectified he would be on to something else. The outstanding instance of this was the death penalty, but the pattern repeated itself again and again. He was seldom the initiator of these ideas, and he obviously depended greatly on newspapers for opinions and support, but his importance was almost unique in that he had a national platform. But the “Listener” editorial was more than just national; it constituted the preface to an official publication, and although Mr Holcroft was eventually advised to print his initials after each editorial his opinions inevitably continued to carry the stamp of authority in the minds of readers. This gave considerable weight to his statements, and if he gave support to a movement it gained strength immediately. That a government department was prepared to

allow such power to an individual is as remarkable as the fact that he was never directly censured for his writings, ey>n when they were directly opposed to Government policy. “Graceless Islanders” consists of 85 of these editorials, on a diversity of topics. All the most memorable editorials are here, with one conspicuous exception: “Freedom’s Champion,” which sparked off the “Poetry Yearbook” controversy in 1964. Why it has not been included can only be guessed at, but perhaps Mr Holcroft now sees the suppression of adventurers on the high seas of New Zealand publishing as incompatible with his own role as the first pirate editor in New Zealand broadcasting.