The Northland Age WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 POLITICAL ANIMUS.

Northland Age, Volume 28, Issue 27, 21 March 1928, Page 4

The Northland Age WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 POLITICAL ANIMUS.

In another column in this issue we publish a letter from Mr. J. B. Reynolds allegedly dealing w’lh the Drainage Katu.g quest'on; but actually its main purpose is to side track people -rom tue real issue by various accusations against the Northland Age. This of course will yrove diverging to Mr. Reynolds whose profession is rather musty and dusty with little pleasure about it, other than that of collecting fat fees, and the monotony of this no doubt proves rather irksonw. However, Mr. Reynolds evidently believes that he is at liberty to say just what he deems fit about us or anyone else whenever he chooses; provider it serves the purpose of the individual whose cause he is championing. Might we on the other hand suggest to Mr. Reynolds that if he is out to side track the pqblic, he has adopted a most clumsy method. We have done a great deal to make public what is being done by the member for the district and it has only been quite recently that we have taken him to task. Ours is an independent journal and if the member for the district does good work we are prepared to give him credit for it. If on the other hand he acts as he did on the occasion of the recent visit to Kaitaia of the Hon J. A. Young, we will have no hesitation in criticising him in no uncertain language. We have noticed for some time past the strange infatuation which leads a tew individuals in the North to applaud anything and everything that is is done by the member for the district be it good, bad, or indifferent. In the interest of the people we are here to point out things which are not in the interest of the district. When we do so we are accused of political animus. In effect we are expected to applaud when the select few apolaud but we must not for a moment so much as suggest that the “Northland lender” can do any wrong. The thing is so absurd and childish that we are surprised at a man of Mr Reynolu’s educational attainments allying himself wi»h such stupidity. We will criticise any public men as we deem fit and neither Mr Reynolds cor any of tne political henchmen of the member for the district will deter us from such criticism when we consider it is merited. This man and the party he represents sure'y art not above criticism. Is it an act of treason to tell each and every one of them that they are wrong or that they are muddlers of the worst kind. That they are more stupid than any Government that ever sat on the Treasury Btnches. If so then there are many men in Parliament to-day who should have been dealt with as befits a person convicted of treason. “The well laid schemes of mice and men gang aftaglie” and Mr. Reynolds has failed in his attempt to direct at-

tention to something that does not exist, just as the Government has failed to adopt a sound policy in connect with the various drainage lchemestbrou|houttbe Dominion.