NOT RESPONSIBLE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 42, 18 August 1925, Page 11

NOT RESPONSIBLE

TO )HE EDITOB.

Sir, —As the assistant secretary of the New Zealand Alliance has dragged me into his controversy with Mr. Norman Burton, of Auckland, may I say that j the New Zealand Licensing Reform Association has never referred to the promoters of Corporate Control as "delegates of the Anglican Synod, Auckland," and I challenge the alliance to produce any official, utterance or publication of this association containing any such statement. The passage from your contemporary, "The Dominion" that he refers'to is that newspaper's own introduction of its article. He proceeds to berate me, as secretary, for not immediately correcting what he admits might have been "an innocent error on the part of the 'Dominion." Just previously he says on his own behalf, "1 am a fallible mortal, liable, ( like others, to err" — but he' does not' extend the same charitable sentiment to others. They, to him, are guilty of "gross misrepresentation," be: cause, forsooth, a newspaper article, for which they are not in any .way responsible, contains an' error. Even if we cannot expect charity of thought from the New Zealand Alliance we should at least be entitled to logic. How could an error, even if committed by the association (which it wag not) be construed as "gross misrepresentation"? How does it justify the 'malicious statement contained in his letter, appearing on 11th August, that the "L.R.A., began life under a very gross misrepresentation" ? He says, "It was for the secretary (that's me) to correct the wrong statement." Well, Teally, I didn't notice it. Seeing that he has taken me to task as secretary of this association, may I in 1 turn ask the assistant secretary of the New Zealand Alliance how it is that he has allowed his "standing committee" to overlook the long-standing and thrice repeated challenge- of this association, that the alliance should answer seriatim the charges contained in the ten numbered clauses of our resolution published in your issue of 30th June last—seven weeks ago ?— I am, etc., - ; R. A. ARMSTRONG, Secretary, N.Z. Licensing Reform Association. 18th August.