STORM IN A TEA-CUP.

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1917, Page 8

STORM IN A TEA-CUP.

AGGRIEVED BOROUGH

KDJTOR TAKEN TO TASK

Cr. Greoiislacle, at last night's Meeting of the Greymouth Borough Council, naked permi.-tsiou to explain matters! that occurred Uuring the abtmice of the Mayor and at a time when ho (Cr. Greonsiade) was acting as DeputyMayor, lie referred to the visit of Mr.'lt. W. Dulton, H.M. Trades Commissiwjjer, to Greymouth and a leading ari'iclo in the Greymouth "Siar"' in which statement a untruthful and dam. aging to the Council had been made. The Mayor: Certainly. Cr. Crecnshulc hero produced a oooy of the Greymouth "Mar'' of March iinl and read part of the editorial to which he took ;.;trong exception. Continuing, Cr.- Crocmilade said the reason he bimight the matter up was because c.ainculor.s might nut be aware of \\\ K < facts. They might have naturally ihoughi that Mr. Dahou .tad

appp<a. ucd liie Council and nothing hail Lv.ii U"uc. 'J he Mayor intimated that he had fiot received any communication from Mr. i'altou, or anyone connected with huu, announciiig thai geiilleiuan'N visit to GreyiiioiiUi, uor hint any such eommunicaliou reached the Borough oilice. .After seeing the leader in the "Star," Cr. Crecn.dade said he had wired li* Mr. Dalton unking whether the latter had desired the Council i" fake any pait. j'ho answer received wa ■'■>: ".No; <».dy Chambers of ComliiclC! I .'' .. . ' U'ljen a paper of ' his type iries to lake away our good name tiy a scratch of the pen it deserves our odium," added Cr. Groemladc, in revertinu' ii> the "Star." He stated that

Mr. 1." secretary of the Creymonth Chamber of Commerce, had met .Mr. DaJton, who had said thai he had mi desire to address, a meeting ii; this t'OWli. The ;']ii_'UkCT thought I'ieV should show their disapproval of the editorial under note by passing a 'csuiutiun. lie- moved that the rcpnr \-v of the Grey mouth "KveHiing Star" lo as.kod to absent him.self from that meeting' in view or" statements made in a leader of that paper, winch wj'.v most unwarranted, uncalled lor, m d eulculuted to do hanu. The sia.cmenvs. made were incorrect and ul. truthful : thoy hit helow the belt, aul

eudueis and showed the paper that >t , i-oiiid not run nil over them—'-it -if! . not run over me, for one. I move in \ thai direction," concluded the speaker. ; ; The Mayor did not think -the mo- ' ii"!) was in order. The Council was a |iuhlic body, and the Cress, or any- j, cue else, were quite at liberty to he ,' present at their meetings. In speak- r. iter. Cc. t'twnslade had hrou-hi ins f' nnni-.-.; under their notice and iio r dmsbt (he Cress would the mutior the publicity if warranted. There ~ wa,; no doubt Cv. Creenslnde fell luul, v especially as Peputy-Mayor. Thee t were no "rounds I'm the article, and s cjiiiiiirv should have been made fro u ■ the Lomicd. ~ Cr. agreed with Hie .Mayor. t| He had felt annoyed when he .saw (he lender. It was at least the duty Sl of (he editor i,» have run;.; up the Town ,| Clerk and a>.ked if Mr. t'aiton had made a request The part of the L .;

leader he took exceiiiioii to was: r< "What ilo the Jural 'bodies of tirev- tj mouth generally d>>.' Nothing." It £ was umiec.vsan in pass Cr. (ircenslade's iwlusiii-ii. i! altcniioii was j„ ealiod to Unj errors, t]»*.■ v need go n i > i\ further, hi Cr. ilar'hy considered Cr. (liven- (V| sialic quite jusiiliui'l in his remarks. ",' Thr leader bad contained unfair p iTttieist!i iii' a gentleman's visit and tin- actions dl' ii public body ill Cvey- \Y Ill'illlll. Thai was MM in i in: I 1 1111! i v lv,

b,> called !u hook fir nm making mru i>i' bis farts, ii! a [ j«t;u■;• so \\ ideiyread iliroiighuui Uie district, it had jnii a stigma nil a public- body. I'liey must expect, in fact, they looked f«»r fair criticism from a newspaper hut ii was such criticism as that under note that kept decent public men from offering their services for mo public weal, 'i he leader required some rebuke. It was an editor's duty to xve, lirst of all, that his ci iLicis.n was truthful and in good taste. L"no leader in (juesiiun went further than to state tiiey had neglected a duty.

It was only natural, as Cr. Green s.l->de had inferred, he could 'not take it lying down. An editor should la careful of his facts, and if lie was worth his salt, he would give the faets. Crs. Partitt, Coodall, and Wade were also present at the meeting, but did not e\[ire>s their opinions nro or contra. The Mayor moved the resolution out uf order. Cr. Krei'iislade : "I am quite satisfied. I've got thai little affair off my chest. 1 find, however, that a g"Oj many had not read the leader. I i--»=i satisfied now that 1 have given, expression to 1 iiv views." The incident then closed and tn* ordinary business of the mectiim was begun.