“SOCIALISM IN NEW ZEALAND”

Patea Mail, 5 October 1938, Page 3

“SOCIALISM IN NEW ZEALAND”

MR. MAZENGARB AMD MR. LEE A SPIRITED REPLY ‘ * Having ‘spilled the beans’ properly” by premature publication of his book on “Socialism in New Zealand,” Mr. J. A. Leu now appeared to be anxious to stifle criticism of the statements in the book,” said Mr. O. C. Mazengarb, National candidate for Wellington Suburbs, at Taita on Monday. “Ho has written me a letter containing a veiled hint of the possibility of a libel aiction,” said Mr. Mazenga.rb, “but that sort, of device doesn’t cause me any, anxiety, because I am always sure of my ground before I speak.” Mr. Mazicngarb then- road the following letters which had passed between Mr. Lee and himself. - Minister of Housing, Wellington, N.Z. Dear Mr. Mazengarb,—l note yon are reported as having said that I stated that criminals had influenced the character of-New Zealand. This may be a wrong report. I am. departing on tour again to-day before I can gpt opinion as to whether the statement in that form is actionable or not, but 'obviously, it is a malicious falsehood in its present form. Vagabonds and adventurers of the typo who came to our goldfields were not necessarily criminals. I think that, in fairness to myself, you owe mie a correction Yours faithfully, - John A. Leo. Dear Mr. Lee, —I am writing this reply to your letter of to-day so you may have it before you leave on tour. The Press "has correctly reported wjrat I said about your book. Possibly you have forgotten what you wrote and so 1 quote the exact passage, as it appeal’s on page 15, in which you will notice that the printer has misspelt the word ‘hordes. ’ “Runaway convicts and runaway sailors were so numerous at one of his ports of call as to provoke Charles Darwin into recording that that port seemed to harbour the scum of the eprth. Settlers arrived later, but the discovery of gold brought further hoards of adventurers and vagabonds, and though a host of these departed with the collapse of the gold boom they must have left their mark on New Zealand character. ”

If you have any doubt about the correctness of the quotation I will be pleased to send you a photograph of the page from which the above is / taken. Far from my owing a correction to you, I lain Convinced yon owe one to the people of Now Zealand.

Yours .ttraly, O, C. Mazengarb.