LETTER TO A PAPER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144857, 8 December 1915, Page 4

LETTER TO A PAPER.

CAUSES A .WARM DISCUSSION. AT TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL. At the meeting of tho Taranaki County Council on Tuesday the chairman asked for, and was granted, permission to make a few special remarks. He referred to a letter which had appeared in the Daily News on November 50, written by J. B. Simpson, which stated that an advertisement calling for nominations for the council bad not appeared in that paper. Councillor J. Andrews temporarily took the, chair. The Chairman said that the matter referred to' the council and was also personal to him. He read, a letter which was published m the Daily New'S on November 30. He did not say anything about the paper publishing the letter, but he took exception to publishing a statement whicn they knew to bo wrong and not to make any comment upon it. Regarding. Air. Simpson’s statement that tne advertisement had not appealed in the News, it was quite' incorrect, as it had appeared. Air. Simpson had written tliat the chairman was only going to please himself. Tins was very bad taste. Mr. Simpson was then a member of the council and tho proper place to make such statements was at the council table. It was reflecting on the council and also on himself to say that they attempted to gag the press. The correspondence file was always open to them. What he did say was that he couid not please everybody, but ho was going to do what he thought right and then at • least one person—himself— would bo satisfied. The expression “Kaiserisni" he took very strong exception to. He took it as an insult to his family by tho writer and also the paper which published the letter. He had one son buried on Gallipoli, another offering his services, and ho had offered himself to the Government to act in any capacity it thought fit. He also had two nephews fighting and some cousins, and as a farmer ho was doing his bit to feed, the troops. It was a personal insult. Ho had no sympathy with Kaiserism and refused to nave his name associated with the Kaiser or > anything Gorman. If anyone had said it to his face in the street that person would have to take a hiding or ho would take one himself. It would be noticed that ho had not’ extended tho usual welcome to Councillor Simpson. He fait that in the, face of it all he could not do so.

Councillor Simpson thought that the chairman had goue too far. As a citizen he reserved the right to criticise tho doings i\f the council and if he went to the press it was because he knew its power. In writing tho letter he had come to his conclusions from tho published reports and nine-tenths of the readers would have the same opinion. There were underlying factors, which tended 'to the hostility of the chairman, but he did not expect such “a slap in the face” as to get no welcome. T here must be some authority to give the returning officer information as to when to hold the elections. A tremendous majority of those in the Moa Hiding were considerably put out at the election taking place on a Friday. For a good many years there had been a laxity in council matters in the Moa Biding, and he considered he had done his duty as a ratepayer in arousing interest. He did not know when he wrote the letter that he was a councillor, otherwise ho would have come to the council table with Es complaints. But he thought even a councillor should havq the right to criticise through tho press. If anything were done in tho council which should he known to the ratepayers and was not reported, he would see that the ratepayers know about it. Personally, he had a great respect for Mr. Brown. He, was not the only one who had not seen the advertisement in the News.

Councillor M'Allum pointed out that according to the Act the election must take place within from 20 to 25 days, and the Friday was the first and last available day. He did not think Councillor Simpson meant the term Kaiserism to be taken personally. He thought it was the same as saying a bully or a coward. No better chairman had ever sat at the head of the council table than Councillor Brown. He was sorry the welcome had been omitted.

Councillor Morton thought that the editor of the paper should have put a footnote explaining that the advertisement had appeared. In a decentlyconducted paper it was always done. He thought the term Kaiserism should be withdrawn.

Other councillors expressed regret that the letter had appeared, but several thought the chairman should have

extended a welcome to the new memher.

Councillor Simpson said that there were fully fifty .ratepayers who were looking for the advertisement but djd not see it. He made the remarks when a ratepayer and declined to be held up for them now he was a councillor. He was only .expressing the views of the ratepayers. Councillor Brown said ho did not mind legitimate criticism. The advertisement had appeared in the News. Councillor M'Alhim proposed “That this council has every confidence in its chairman and regrets the remarks that have appeared in the press relating to him personally. 11 This motion was seconded and Councillor Brown took the chair. After Councillor Simpson had stated that he did not mean “Kaiserism” to be taken personally the matter dropped. .