NEWS OF THE.CONTINGENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 215, 9 September 1914, Page 4

NEWS OF THE.CONTINGENTS.

GOVERNMENT METHODS IN QUESTION. CHARGES OF PARTY PAiVQUMTISJI.

At a time like the present it i s extremely undesirable that tihe Government ol the country should lay itself open lo charge-, of partisanship, -but it Will be noticed from our iParliaxoenta-ry news that there have been strong protests in the House with regard to (fa,vouritUjn in the facilities afforded ior securing news of the advance guard of the KW Zealand contingent. The facts of the case, as far as t'hw paper is concerned, -niay be briefly and dispassionately stated. ,' On .Sa.turda-y_ morning, August 15, we -wired "' t rgent " to the Prime 2>Enister, asking permission to seai'-arsmxa by : !f collier that was to icsve Auckland 'that afternoon. Simultaneously we sent a, v iT C to the editor of the •• Xew Zealand TinKi," asking him to tee the authorities to further the application. On the following da \- (Sunday) the editor of the ''ST-Z. Tunes'' replied: "Cannot get satisfaction from General Godle-y. iHc =ays coUio r ha-s Ict't Auckland." 'A reply .from the Prime Minister was not received until Monday. 'It was as fo&Mva: "I am not in a po»iticn to reply definitely to your telegram of Saturday, ibut the request "ill nay.c careful consideration, and will advuc later." By this time it was, of course, imporii'ble to do anything with regard to the advance contingent. And all the time, it must 'be .borne in nrind, a correspondent had been permitted to leave with the- troopships -representing a =yndi-' cate of favoured Government papers. On August 23 a telegram was received -from Colonel Chaytor which lead: ••With reference to jour. application, no war correspondents "will be to accompany iXew Zealand fespeditionary Force." This message "dealt ■•with, fhe questian of seeding away a correspondent with the main body, but in spite of its definiteness tje assertion has been made in >the House that a correspondent from London representing the same , favoured' syndicate as was permitted to send a- man to. Samoa, is to join the force later. •Wβ consider it well that the public «iLonld be made acquainted with the facts of the ca«c. ; : The reservation! of news for. papers of a particular sV.ade of political opinion in a matter thai! touches many of the. public very nearly'is -a matter-that requires no comment. We may point out that though labouring under this disability, when the t'limaroa arrived at Wellington on September 1 with letters from Noumea, the "Auckland Star' was- the first paper in the Dominion to publish; jji account of the. contingent's voyage to Noumea. Similarly, when the Jloeraki arrived at Wellington on. Monday morning, the "Auckland -Star' "account the f une evening was adequate and interesting. But this is no reason why special disabilities should be imposed upon us ■br Government. - , - '• • -

"When the Scddon ajid Ward Governments were in power it was customiry in ca.*?s of expeditions of public interest outside our shores to give facilities to two correspondents, one to represent .1 .-yndicatp of Government papers, and the otiier an Opposition syiidicatei The present Gp.yernnj.ent requires to a clearer anii more satisfactory "tisplanation of its action in this mat.ter of attempting, even if totally unsUccessiuHy. to-shut off. the: : of tbf'ep.mronb.ih- friffli" ne&s : tSiQ? doinps of i'blitingents tnis Dominion. ■:' ' "-..' :