The West Coast Times. SATURDAY JUNE 22, 1912. A WORD TO MR. MURDOCH.

West Coast Times, 22 June 1912, Page 2

The West Coast Times. SATURDAY JUNE 22, 1912. A WORD TO MR. MURDOCH.

We have always had an admiration for enthusiasm, and we have nothing but praise for tho enthusiasm of His Worship tho Mayor of Kumara (Mr. J. A, Murdoch) in his endeavours to do his best for tho town over whoso destinies he has presided so long, hut wo strongly resent and deprecate tho irresponsible manner in which ho referred to this journal when speaking at a meeting of tho Kumara Borough Council on Thursday evening. Tho Mayor lias become so enamoured of the proposal to build a branch lino between Kumara Junction and tho township, that he has allowed his passion to got the hotter of his reason, and ha voiced some serious misrepresentations of this journal. At tho meeting in question Mr. Murdoch said: Ho had noticed in the columns of the “West Coast Times,” Hokitika, insults thrown at their little town. They were not only out of ■ place, but uncalled for. Ho did not tli ink that the paper represented Hokitika. Tho article referred to contained covert sneers about Kumara, and referred to it as a decadent town.

Now Mr. Murdoch must cither have a ' very short memory, or ho purposely set himself out to injure this journal, by giving publicity to several damaging statements which ho. cannot substantiate. It is all very well to bo enthusiastic, but voracity is also a nice virtue, and wo should have thought that tho Mayor of Kumara would at least have confined himself to facts. Mr. Murdoch is reported to have said that this journal “threw insults at their little town,” that we made “covert sneers at Kumara” and that wo even went so far as to refer to Kumara as a “decadent town.” Now, wo presume that Mr. Murdoch is an honourable man and that ho can give chapter and verso for his statements. Very good ! VS o challenge Mr. Murdoch to quote one lino which has been published . tVs paper that has “sneered at Kumara.” Lot him tell us when wo threw insults at “their little town.” Show us, Mr. Murdoch, when wo referred to Kumara as a “decadent town.” Wo presume that he was speaking with ■ tho full sense of the responsibility of making statements which wore quite contrary to fact. Wo do not wish to quarrel with His Worship, but as he knows, wo are not made of tho kind of material to allow the Mayor of Ku- . mara, or anybody else, to misrepresent Let him do ns tho justice of substantiating his accusation and then wo will know how to deal with him. Was it the sarcasm of late which made Mr. Murdoch declare after ho had so grossly misrepresented ns; “I will now give some facts ! ! ” In reference to a certain contribution which appeared in a Christchurch paper, Mr. Murdoch made a statement which literally

“out-Mlurdoched Murdoch.” In a covert manner His Worship endeavoured to connect this journal with the article in question. Hero again Mr. Murdoch was very much at soa, and wo can assure him that this journal has no connection with any other paper and is in no way responsible for anything that appears in their columns. Mr. Murdoch knows that as noil as anybody, but he desires to damage us and the end justifies the moans. Wo have only to add that every rationally-minded person must realise that it is utter folly to endeavour to persuade the Government to undertake the construction of a branch railway as desired by Mr. Murdoch anil his■ friends until the promise in connection with tho extension of the Ross railway i s redeemed. Then tho matter will be easier sailing. It is nearly nine months since that promise was made, and wo fool sure that Mr. Murdoch will realise the strength of our contention when wo say that it is little use endeavouring to obtain another promise from the' Government for' another railway until tho promise to extend tho rails south of Ross is made good. If tho Government had unlimited financial resources that would be another matter, hut they have not. The question of whether a branch railway nail pay at tho commencement should not enter into tho question. It is all a matter of developtho country, and wo feel sure that if Mr. Murdoch and his friends can convince the Government that tho country through which . tho proposed branch railway is to pass, and also the district which it is to tap, i s capable of development of a permanent nature, tben wo are convinced that their efforts will be crowned with success, as soon as all the outstanding promises are redeemed.