“POISON GAS.”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10733, 2 November 1928, Page 5

“POISON GAS.”

MU. CLAYTON VELY CROSS. WILD ATTACK ON EDITOR. OF TIMES. When he met the electors at Makaralta on Friday week, Mr. Claytoil, the United Party candidate, squealed bitterly because there had been some criticism of his candidature in this journal., and amused his hearers by saying: “Perhaps he (the Editor), will find that I can exude still heavier poison gas that will stiflle the reverberations of his. thunderings—il jut T will wait my time.” At the. City Hall last night, Mr. Clayton •limply couldn’t contain himself any longer. After an effort to court favor with the Herald by stating that ho could give that journal credit for reporting his meetings fairly he stepped' on his poison gas, with the following result:—

"The other journal (meaning the Timeß) had adopted the methods of the! yellow or gutter press of America. The self-complaisant gentleman who occupies the editorial ,chair preens himself and charges me with criticising in personalities when 1 lie does the same tiling himself. That microscopic brain dictated that a man should not alter his opinions and proceeded'to give out half truths against ipe. A half truth is often worse than the downright lie, and 1 claim .to have been misreported, absolutely and utterly. 1 have ■iiever had fair play in tlie reports, and in the letters that have been published, and I have reason to believe these letters emanated from the editor himself. The only consolation is, perhaps, that the proprietors do hot read theirp for, it tKey did, as they are gentlemen, they would soon dispense with such dn Editor.”

[This outburst is, of characteristic of Mr. Clayton. Plainly, lie. does not Uko criticism now any more than he did when he first unsuccessfully stood for political honors. Theh He averred “I can take my gruel like, a Britisher.” But he soon began' to complain aittouit, and to threaten, everybody opposed to nun* ”1 guarantee,” he remarked at ono of his meetings, “that there will be supporters of Mr. Cairo! who will squinU because l will disclose things Which: they Have never heard before” I Sir James, however, merely smiled, reminding the electors that a "mosquito annoyed one at times and they were tempted to crush R>, hut they must hear in. mind that it was. after o,nly a mosquito ! As far as Mr. Clayton’s attack on the Editor of this journal 's concerned it is of no moment. His .suggestion- that letters have l>een written iri this office attacking Him is simply a’- wicked fabrication, matter, however, is Mr. Clayton s invention that some meintlr of the Times reporting staff has knowingly misreported hun. This the Editor refuses to believe. When Mr. LI ayton stood for the old Waiapu ho made similar complaints—that he had been' misrepresented and misreported ji-but, on that occasion, it our evening contemporary that h ° attacked and his action led to a stinging rejoinder in which it was ported out to ldin “that the petty nature of-Ins comments carried their ,oWn condemnation”! The fact that Mi . Clayton'has, at this stage- of the contest resorted to such an ill-tempered attack, will, assuredly, caupp dismay-m tho ranks of his supporters. |