SUSPICIOUS!

Evening Star, Issue 21630, 27 January 1934, Page 18

SUSPICIOUS!

TO THE EDITOR. ' I . Sir,—As an old subscriber to th» - ‘ Evening Star ’ I was a very disappointed man last evening. ■■ I w'as sliowii a copy of a' letter ,writen to you by Mr C. S. M'Arthur, whicli was abridged without any acknowledgment’- from you. He asked a question about an employee of the’ South Dunedin, depot who was ‘recently dismissed from -his position, but you failed to publish same. In face of this fact one wonders if it means much difference, whether a. reporter attends <the meetings of , the, Relief Committee or not. If. you. publish that only which you wish, then.the public need not worry about publio business being taken in, committee, jjt will make no difference to their .knowledge either way. A week or so ag0.,1 read an. article in your paper about .‘Controlled Press’ as' affecting Germany under Hitler.: Is our Press alto-gether-exempt from control P .. It has been stressed, many times that the members of * our . Relief 'Committee are voluntary workers'. Admitted. But whether volunteers or conscripts they are still servants of the public, and-are responsible to the- public, and,-as’such servants should welcome publicity; otherwise the public are apt to be .suspicious of their “ hush-hush- ” policy.• If any member is hot willing to recognise himself as a' servant then he or sha may resign. _ , I sincerely hope His Worship-, will exert his. authority, and although he. is not in the position to control'bis council he certainly can. control his so-called Relief Committee.—l am, etc., The Max ix the Street. January 26. - ■ [Our correspondent makes, a. great discovery, and we hope he will not be more disappointed by the explanation of it. Mr C. S. MacArthur in his letter, asked a question of Mr M'lndoe, and the previous day’s paper had stated that Mr MTndoe had left for Wellington. The question was struck out, therefore, as One that could not on that -occasion be answered. There would have been danger of a false impression being created if it had been published, and'no reply had appeared. If Mr MacArthur and our correspondent had followed local affairs more closely they would doubtless have understood the omission, which can be made good at any time. It is the recipients of assistance, and not members of the Relief Committee, who would’ have reason to complain if their private affairs, which make the principal business of the committee’s meetings, were required to be published.—Ed. E.S.I