Really, MR Seymouri

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19070, 7 October 1933, Page 9

Really, MR Seymouri

(To the Editor.) Sir—l think that most of your readers will agree that I have good grounds for being annoyed at Mr Seymour’s letter in to-day’s Waikato Times. He transgresses the canons of good taste, fairness, Intelligence, reason, and every other social instinct in his so obvious bias against myself personally. I am called “an ignorant old man" and all manner of stupid ideas and actions are Imputed to me. But, really, Sir, Mr Seymour is not worth getting angry with. I am quite prepared to leave to your readers the correct interpretation to be put upon the amazing outbursts of Mr Seymour. At the same -time, one would expect that even Mr Seymour would show some glimmering of sense. He says that “Mr Sykes’ friends in Melbourne (I do not know them, by the way) have put on suoh a tariff that a Japanese singlet—landed cost fivepence—cannot be sold for less than fifteen shillings!" Rats! Prove this, Mr Seymour, and I will give £lO (ten pounds sterling) to any charity you like to mention. Mr Seymour quotes me as referring to Mr Hansen's writings as “upstart Impertinence from an ignorant young fellow." I think I must ask you to show me this in print In any of my letters, Mr Seymour. If I did write these words I will apologise to Mr Hansen. If you cannot show me in print any such words in any of my letters I suggest that it is up to you to apologise publicly to me. As a matter of faot, Sir, Mr Seymour is obviously hopelessly rattled because I will not waste time debating the tariff question with him through your columns. There are two reasons why I will not do so: (1) Mr Seymour knows very little about the subject in its broadest sense; (2) I stated long ago that I am fully convinced that the question of tariffs is a very minor'matter compared with the graver problem of an entire change in our economic and sociaf system. The concluding sentence in Mr Seymour’s letter Is really too funny for words. He says: “Mr has re-emerged from his retirement at a most appropriate moment." What on earth does he mean? Some six months or so ago he wrote saying that in a following letter (which never appeared) he “could almost guarantee the retirement of Mr Sykes.” Well, Sir, through your generosity as to space I have not shown any very pronounced desire to retire from using your columns. The trouble with most of Mr Seymour’s letters is that we ordinary individuals are not clever enough to understand, ever, what he is driving at. If there is any meaning in most of them it is hidden so effectively that I cannot trace it, and so I think it best to treat him as a huge joke, sometimes —as in this last letter—a joke that plays havoc with the canons of good taste, etc. Goodbye, Mr Seymour.—l am, etc., JOHN SYKES. Hamilton* October 6, 1933.