To Correspondents.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 November 1924, Page 4

To Correspondents.

We have receive a'typescript letter intended for publication.. The writer has , not appended his signature in manuscript, nor. given his address. We , cannot, accept communications so sent, even if the subject matter is unobjectionable. We insist upon full proof of authenticity in respect of all communications intended for the correspondence columns. We further must be reasonably satisfied that correspondents are sincere in their communications, and are what they profess to be. For instance we shall not permit a known member of one political party to write as a member of another party and shelter behind a nom-de-plume in doing so. The object of such an action is apparent to any intelligent person, and the Star is not lending itself to such tactics. It is difficult to detect the deceit in some cases, and we have been victimised in the the past to a certain degree, while constant watchfulness has to be exercised to prevent repetition or the introduction v of other objectionable practices.' The net result, following the usual . practice when it .is discovered that a privilege is being abused> is that stricter insistence upon our requirements hlust be looked for, even at the risk of giving offence to innocent persons. We do , not estimate this risk as being great, having the belief that the decent people are in a large majority, and they will appreciate our action. Nothing herein is intended to indicate that we do not‘welcome corre? spondence upon matters of public interest bearing evidence of being forwarded with the desire to render service to the general community. The rules governing the publication of such correspondence are generally well known, we fancy by none better than some who, for ulterior, purposes, seek to make unfair and improper use of a privilege. A plain intimation is here given «o a. certain elass of correspondent that the introduction into the subject matter of a letter of abusive and insuling reference to the Editor personally, or to the paper, will not be met by the excision of the reference and the publication of the balance of the communication; we shall decline publication of the letter without further aclo, and thereafter permanently refuse the use of our correspondence columns to the writer.—Ed.—Star.]