CORRESPONDENCE REPUDIATION OR PROOF?

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 78, 2 April 1914, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE REPUDIATION OR PROOF?

TO TBE EDITOR. Sir, — The Red Fed. leaders will persist in calling the newspapers (especially The Post) liars, even when the actual words used by a Labour speaker, taken from papers either run by or sypathihing witli their own party are given, they still deny their truth. Now, when in Australia, Mr. Semple is reported to have said that at the strike the Government released thousands of prisoners, and set them to work to quell tho strike. Will Mr. Semple say straight out whether lie has been reported correctly or not? Again, Mr. Webb, M.P., is reported to have used words much bo tho same effect on the West Coast. Will Mr. Webb con» firm the report or deny it? If their leaders did make these assertions, will any of their fellow leaders or followers • — watersiders or their sympathisers — come forward and confirm these statements? It just amounts to this — the Government either released thousands of prisoners, made specials of them, armed them with bludgeons and revolvers, and set them to work to kill and maim the simple, innocent, law-abiding, truthloving watersiders and their friends, or they did not. The newspapers say the Government did not. ' Messrs. Semple and Co. .say they did. They have made serious charges against the Government, and New Zealanders know whether to believe them or not, . but, these statements will be copied all over Australia and far beyond. Will our good friends the Red Feds., for their own and fellow citizens' honour's sake, either repudiate or substantiate these charges? — I am, etc., W.P.G.