MR LAURENSON'S "FACTS."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 13, 13 May 1912, Page 5

MR LAURENSON'S "FACTS."

(To the Editor "Stratford Evening

Post.")

Sir, —I notice in your issue of last night that you are not satisfied wit.i 'uy statement at To'co on Thurst'fiV, and that you cannot resist the temptation of having an unfair "dig" at ,i political opponent. As you appear to be suffering from a good deal of irritation, I might just as well give you some facts to enable you to realiseas the people all over New Zealand are beginning to realise—that the newspaper Press of the Dominion is being steadily—perhaps I should sarapidly—bought up by the Conservative Party so as to beat the progro;sive element in this country.

I did not emphasise Taranaki as a:illustration of this policy, but f did emphasise Hawke's Bay. I now desire to say that some fresh data has been supplied to me, and from it. I find that Taranaki provides about as gross an example of the way in whicn the Opposition are buying up the newspaper's of this country as could be found in any other province. Let me "five you some figures: Li Taranaki there are 12 newspapers publisher!. Of these two support the Government; two are independent, and eight are opposition. From Wanganui to Wellington there are 10 newspapers ; three of these support the Government, seven support the Opposition. [n the Wairarapa there are (i newspapers, one supports the Government, five support the Opposition. In Hawke's Bay there are 7 newspapers, one supports the (lOvernmcnt, six support the Opposition. The LiberalLabour element of this country can only counteract this monstrous state of affairs by facts and figures used on the platform, and the present Ministry proposes to make use of that means of putting the true facts of the present political position before the people of New Zealand.—Yours, etc., GEO. LAURENSON. On South N.l'. Mail Train, May 11, 1912.