A SWEEPING CHARGE.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12497, 25 March 1909, Page 3

A SWEEPING CHARGE.

REV.: R. J: JDATOBELL AKQ.THE " ; DRAPERS. * ■■■' • r; By the statement' : that^ Jhere , were many yo.ung'^'olne/niri shops in,the,West.End .of/London who were driven t6 lea^' .immoral, lives ; in order; to eke out 'their 'scanty earnings, ; the Rev. R. J. Campbell has .raised a storm abouMHis'ea'rs;" : ! ' ' ; -' : The rev. gentleman was addressing a gathering^ of i shop-assistahts when hefjnadevhis^ charges; and the"statement secured immediate circulation in the drapery trade, arousing a storm of protest. ' . - ; The .Drapers' Chamber of Trade wrote to Mr Campbell, complaining: of his "gross ..' mis-statement," and saying that, if he mafle statements that he could hot substantiate, his conduct was -both unmanly and unchristian. But" tlie' chamber admitted that speakers sometimes: allowed sentiment to get the upper ' hand of judgment, which led them to say things' which' they" might afterwards desire to retract: .:'-.- Therefore, the' chamber asked :Mr Campbell for "a complete .withdrawal of the statement complained' of ."This is Mr Campbell's reply, which was read at a recent meeting of the chamber % .^— Hill Lodge, Enfield. Dear Sir,— Neither you nor your council appearto be very-good judges as to \yhat is "unmanly, and unchristian," that you do not take the pains to inform" yourselves as to the actual abuses incidental .to a sj-stem of ; : which you apparently do not disapprove. , , , . "'I adhere in to to to the statement to which you object, and have not the. slightest intention of withdrawing it. You are quite well aware of the reason why I do. not name .any particularoffender. ■''"'■■■,._ „ „ -. Nothing -is more dimcult, than to procure legal evidence of facts of the kind referred to, although their existence is notorious. But I give you notice that if ever I can secure evidence enough on which to institute a prosecution I shall take the matter into court myself without waiting for the opinion of. your council.-^Yourb, faithfully, R. J. Campbell. ' Mr Pritchard Jones oharactensed Mr Campbell's statements as being without a .tittle of foundation. ( I have to. declare conscientiously, c he said, "and I have thirty-five years' experience, that there is not a word of trutn in -his statement. This and similar declarations were received with loud cheering.