THE BOYCOTT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 640, 18 October 1909, Page 3

THE BOYCOTT.

Sir,—Truly "the pen is mightier than the sword," as exemplified by tlio action of tho Government towards ono of tho most influential and leading daily papers in the colony, which is penalised for its fair and honest criticism on- some of tho doubtful methods of the present Government. ' A short ; time ajjo I was visiting a small township about six miles from a railway station. The. only daily paper brought by the conch was The Dominion. I asltcd the question, Whero were the "Post" and "Times"? I was informed they had lost their subscribers through their* leasehold land policy,, as , all tho people in this district uphold tho freehold.

'Iho lirst thing I saw upon opening The Dominion was a notice saying the Government had'boycotted the paper, i and refused to give it any Government advertisements, or even tho amended Railway-Time Table, which means so much to settlers so far from a station, and, in order that the public should riot be inconvenienced, The Dominion Company had published tho necessary information at their own cost. Now, sir, 'does not this action of tho Government remind you of cutting of! your''nose to spite 1 your.-face, and ■ if Sat Dominion Company were as unjust and unfair as the Government, these settlers in the above-mentioned district would have suffered untold inconvenience, and the revonuo of the Railway Department' would consequently suffer. The Government have tried to explain tbe' boycott'-by principles of economy but how can wo reconcile that with the fact that one meal for tho entertainment of the American Fleet cost .», enough to advertise for a wnolß year. In addition to this, two extravagantly costly railway carriages'have been,built at the Railway Worshops, one for tho Governor, and ono for the Premier: Now, I think it is-only fair and just that some of tho money we pay for taxes should be spent in ■• advertising in tho paper that has the largest circulation, and which is the only paper that reaches some of the outlying districts.-I am, etc., . ■ . TAX PAYER. Sir,—lf is with'genuine concern I read vour protest, and that of your correspondents, against tho action of tho Government in relerence to the advertisements. -If the press is to be penalised every time anything is writl\° .°f™ d tlle Administration of tho day, what will the position of the public be 0 Tho average person will know nothing of what is goiiig on and vices of all description will thrive. I-am really' surprised 'that Sir J Ward would do such a thing, for he must know nonni an n>li '? tho interc st of tho people. I.hat; a Liberal. Government, should so torget the.-irst principles of its traditions astounds me.. The cry-of that parly has long been, one for justice, justice for this, justice for that, and justice for the-other, thing. Now they havo the poorer,, what sort of justice is tins boycott they are meting out to their op! ponents. bir, this question is a more serious ?, n ? , tU, ?, n . ev . e n. TllE Dominion appears to Hunk; it is the rights of the peopleXt an am, S etc C '> throUgh the P" Bs "* '.'■■•■■'■ '■'■•. .'".•'■■ RADICAL.