A SERIOUS MATTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 59, 10 March 1921, Page 4

A SERIOUS MATTER.

The incident reported ye&terday by a | Wellington correspondent, at a Labour J meeting in Wellington on Sunday night, calls for an immediate official explanation. According to our correspondent a "Hansard" reporter was sent to the. meeting to take a verbatim report of Mr. Holland's speech, in which Mr. Holland dealt with the Prime Minister's visit to England. Whether or not the meeting was open to the Press we do not know, but whatever was the position, We hold that whoever 6ent the "'Hansard" reporter there made a serious and stupid I blunder. We have no love for Mr.; •Holland's pol'tics, but we arc constrained to ask whether it is in keeping with British traditions of free speech or the dignity of Parliament that a representative of the people should be watched in this way, and watched, too. by an officer of his own Parliament. The inference suggests itself that someone in authority, knew that Mr. Holland was going to I speak itbout Mr. Massey's summons to London, an.l thought it "advisable to get a report of his speech for futi.re use. ls it unimaginable, indeed, that the ■thought of a possible prosecution crossed that person's mind'; The law of sedition easts n wide net nowadays. We do not bclie\e that Mr. Massey himself would be so foolish as to try to interfere with freedom of speech in respect to his trip to England, and we await an explanation. The chief objection to such a proceeding arises out of regard for such freedom, but we mayadd that the tactlessness of the business is staggering. It is just the sort of move to encourage certain sect'ons in their opposition to .Mr. Massey's departure, and in their prejudices against Imperial developments.