“GRAVE BREACH OF ETIQUETTE”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 221, 1 September 1932, Page 8

“GRAVE BREACH OF ETIQUETTE”

LEAFLETS HANDED TO STEAMER PASSENGER. AUCKLAND MAYOR INDIGNANT. Auckland, August 31. “A grave breach of etiquette and an action to which I take the strongest exception” was how the Mayor (Mr. G W. Hutchinson) this morning described an experience which he had just prior to the departure of the Monterey from Sydney for Auckland last week. Just as the vessel was about to leave Sydney Mr Hutchinson had handed to him an addressed envelope containing some printed literature but no informatio as to the authorship. There were three leaflets in the envelope, said the Mayor, when narrating the incident, and these contained a review of the financial arrangements of the Matson shipping line, an allegation that the running of that company’s ships was an attempt to oust the British mercantile marine, and a criticism of the passenger for travelling by an American boat. “There was no indication on the envelope or in the literature as to the source from which the leaflets came, and I can only assume that they emanated from some competitive shipping interests,” added Mr Hutchinson. “In the first place 1 regard it as grave broach of etiquette to send such a communication to a person on the ship that was the subject of the criticism. Secondly, no other ship was sailing for Auckland about this date, and passengers must be given credit for having their own interests to conserve in the matter of time.” The Mayor said that he took the strongest exception to being made the subject of propaganda of the description referred to, and declared his belief that a continuation of such methods would only imbue with resentment those who received the communi--1 cation.