MR. HOLLAND'S MEETING

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 214, 10 September 1931, Page 11

MR. HOLLAND'S MEETING

COMPLAINT OF REPORTING.

ADDRESS NOT POLITICAL

EXISTENCE OF TRUCE DENIED.

(By Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. . Strong resentment at the nature of the report sent out by the Piess Association regarding the meeting addressed by him in the Wellington trades Hall last Sunday was expressed by Mr. H. E. Holland,' Leader of the Labour party, in an interview with the "Star leprcsentative to-night. Mr. Holland said that on Sunday he had lectured under the auspices of the Wellington General Labourers' Union on the subject of machinery and its effect on employment. The lecture occupied an hour and a half, and the subject was one of supreme importance to society as a whole, and particularly to the workers. In the Press Association's report sent out, however, the subject matter of the lecture was not even mentioned, and the report would lead the reader to infer that a political address had been delivered. It was quite clear that the "Auckland Star" itself had been misled by this report. Mr. Holland said a few remarks of his, in replying to a vote of thanks, had been given prominence and garbled, and several interjections had been given prominence, without any indication of the source from which they came—a small anti-Labour clement, which made it its business to endeavour to create dissension at all Labour meetings. No one could possibly object to interjections being included in a report that covered the address as a whole, but it was a peculiar journalistic method that devoted 50 per cent of a report to a three minutes' incident in a two hours' meeting, while omitting the whole of the lecture. The fact that the Trades Hall was taxed to. the full extent of its holding capacity, and that the meeting was wholly and • enthusiastically with the Labour party, was carefully excluded from the report, and when the Press Association had recourse to that method of "doctored" reporting it need only blame itself if it should come to be regarded as a publicity agency for the anti-Labour political parties. Mr. Holland, referring tp the "Auckland Star" editorial in comment on his remarks, said that, as its name denoted, the committee now sitting was a special economic committee, and at no time had there been any agreement that it should consider the postponement of the elections, or any other phase of the political situation; neither had there been any understanding, either specific or implied, that the activities of the different political parties were to be suspended. The only agreement was that the committee would investigate the economic situation as it affected the Dominion—and this it was doing as completely as the circumstances would permit—with a view to ascertaining what recommendations, if any, could be made to Parliament to meet the position.