THE PROPOSED EXPORT DUTY ON TIMBER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8314, 22 July 1890, Page 6

THE PROPOSED EXPORT DUTY ON TIMBER.

TO Til I) I TO Sir,—Whilst admitting that the arguments used in your leading article of Saturday are convincing as to the undesirability of placing an export duly 011 baulk timber, and this I do notwithstanding the fact that I favour a protective policy, 1 cannot but think that your references to the private life of Mr. Ooldie are both uncalled for ami unjust. Mr. Ooldie may surely lie the superintendent of a Sunday-school and a leading member of a wellknown denomination without having the fact cast in his teeth because he advocates a protective policy with regard to timber, a business in which he is himself engaged. It is this sort of thing that disgusts our better men with Parliamentary life, and prevents them coming forward at election time. It is not pleasant to have your virtues held up as a subject for sarcasm and innuendo, but when it comes to the exposure of your vices (and no man is perfect) it is positively prohibitive, except to the case-hardened. Fortunately Mr. Goldie's record is such thab he does not require to pay much attention to the innuendo* contained in the article referred to, which I cannot but think must have befen penned whilst the writer was suffering from an attack of indigestion. At any rate they are unworthy of a place in the leading article of a journal occupying the admittedly high position that yours does, and I hope you will make tho amende

honorable to Mr. Goldie at the first convenient opportunity, and if I may be permitted to suggest how you should do it, I would say that a leading article pointing out how he, and Withy, and Monk, etc., are the salt which prevents the corruption of the wholo mass of Parliament, and asking them to re-consider their expressed intention of retiring, would be well-timed and encouraging to men who are inclined to despair because the results of their efforts are not immediately visible.—l am, etc., J. M. McLachlan. Auckland, July 21, 1890.