THE “SQUARE DEAL.”

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16666, 26 September 1914, Page 8

THE “SQUARE DEAL.”

Apparently we were mistaken the other day when'we urged that the general election might reasonably be postponed for a ye»r. At all events, a revision of that opinion is encouraged by the Government, which seems intent upon proving that the people ought to have an early opportunity of changing the occupants of the Treasury benches. The facts that we aro about to reveal would be almost incredible if they were not absolutely outside the region of dispute We regret very much, even though the political truce can hardly be spoken of now except in the past tense, to have to criticise as severely as must be done gentlemen holding positions of the highest honour and responsibility. It is with considerable reluctance that we explain to our readers why certain important ,war messages that were sent from London last Wednesday make a belated appearance in our columns only this morning. The reason is as simple as it is amazing. They were apparently held up in Wellington, kept back for a day, in order that* they might first be telegraphed to and published by certain prominent Reform newspapers. In yesterday morning's Conservative journals in Christchurch and Dunedin appear cablegrams of considerable importance, practically the pick of the day’s war news, which were received by the Prime Minister from, the High Commissioner on Thursday, and of which the correspondent of those newspapers was privileged to have exclusive use. The rest of the Pres 3, the journals which are not devoted heart and soul to the welfare of the Reform Party, were permitted yesterday to receive the stale news already circulated iin Reform organs'. It is difficult to offer any comment that is not superfluous. Wo may however, point out that the High Commissioner and the Prime Minister aro ■The paid servants of all the people, and that neither the Government nor its party organs have any proprietary right to the war messages that does noi belong equally to the whole of the Press and community. When a Reform correspondent was spirited away with the Samoan expedition as “a sort if guide” and returned full of “ copy " for Reform newspapers, leaving the expedition to guide itself, one of the beneficiaries invited its readers to admire the “enterprise” with which it had outdistanced its rivals. Perhaps a similar explanation will be forthcoming on the present occasion. If so, we feel sure the public will regard it as a most lame and impotent excuse and an impudent one into the bargain. Wo shall, however, bo more interested in awaiting the explanation of the Prime Minister of this impressive illustration of his “ square deal ” policy.