A TRIBUTE TO THE PRESS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXiX, Issue 7730, 25 February 1909, Page 4

A TRIBUTE TO THE PRESS.

DUNEDIN, February 24. I In responding to the toast of '' The Parliament " at the Allen function, Mr T. H. Davey, M.P., said that ho was m full sympathy with the demand that the proceedings of the sessional committees should be thrown open to the Press of the colony. Parliament had nothing to hide from, the people, who had a right to know what was going on from clay to day m the committees, where, under existing conditions, much of our legislation was, as a matter of fact, initiated. An exception ought, however, to be made to the proceedings of the Public Accounts Committee, because delicate financial questions were often discussed there, and for obvious reasons it was not to the public interest that the details'of financial transactions should bo prematurely disclosed. Mr Davey concluded a very practical address by paying a generous tribute to the trustworthiness of the reporters. He had been connected with local bodies for many years, besides sitting m Parliament for six years, and was aware of the presence of reporters on many occasions when very important business was under consideration, and he had never known a single instance m which the confidence reposed m them had been betrayed by the representatives of the Press. Such being the fact, there was no earthly reason why the proceedings of tne committees of the House (with the exception of the one he had expressly mentioned) should not bo attended by gentlemen whose word of honour had proved equal to their bond.