THE POWER SCHEME.

Southland Times, Issue 22949, 23 July 1936, Page 9

THE POWER SCHEME.

To the Editor.

Sir, —Your leader of Wednesday on the Power Board question again reveals the remarkable lack of knowledge of the position by The Southland Times. When you took up this question some time ago you floundered head first into something you knew nothing about and you are now so hopelessly involved that only such piffle that is in Wednesday’s leader can be resorted to. There was a _ time when The Southland Times couid be depended upon in presenting Southland’s case to New Zealand. To-day we can rely on the editorial column crying stinking fish. What have we had from Southland’s leading morning paper during this controversy?—sensationalism of the real American Yellow Press type. Anything that may be thought useful in influencing public opinion is placarded in bold black type in prominent positions in the paper. Anonymous letters (some of which smell of the editor’s sanctum) are published containing misleading and incorrect statements, when a paper of standing would correct same by way of a footnote. There is a sample in Wednesday’s issue. ’’Yuly the standard of The Times has fallen. Again I say, clean journalism—Ye Gods and little fishes.

With your associates Messrs H. J. Farrant and J. W. Smith you have been groping in the dark on the Power Board question. You primed Mr Farrant in his written statement read at the public meeting, and you primed Mr Smith in his statement. Both . your friends easily got away with their incorrect statements at the public meeting. Both crashed badly when acting on the deputation to the board on Tuesday. Mr J. W. Smith, on being challenged on figures he quoted, said he could prove them in black and white and spread out a paper and pointed to some figures. He was £1,100,000 out and was forced to withdraw the statement. Mr Smith was again pulled up and bowled out, £300,000 out this time. Now, sir, you have experienced a series of thuds. Messrs H. J. Farrant and J. W. Smith have fallen badly on something they know nothing about. What about applying the acid test? I put this up straight to The Southland Times. Advocate with all the force and prominence at your disposal the following: “the investigation of the Government’s offer and the Southland Electric Power Board’s affairs by a committee of technical and financial experts.” This is the acid test. Do it, and in the meantime stop crying stinking fish.—Yours etc., W. McCHESNEY. South Invercargill, July 22, 1936.

[We have deleted from this letter only certain personal references to Mr J. W. Smith.—Editor, The Southland Times.]