CENSORSHIP CODE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 134, 8 June 1944, Page 2

CENSORSHIP CODE

CHANGE IN N.Z. URGED EARLY ACTION HOPED FOR (P.A.) WELLINGTON, this day. A member of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Mr. N. S. Hunt, at this week's meeting of the chamber, urged that the Government should bring into effect in NewZealand a censorship code similar to that recently introduced in Australia. The new code stipulated that censorship should be non-political and that defence security should be the governing principle. It was not claimed that the censor in New Zealand had exceeded his authority, for it was now the custom of our legislators to confer upon themselves and their Departmental officers powers of the widest extent, he said. "The subject of censorship has been under discussion and investigation bjr the chamber for some time new, and we are prepared to publish, if permitted, details of instances where, in our opinion, the censorship has been of a political nature in regard to matters which had little or no connection with defence securitj-," added Mr. Hunt. Censorship for political reasons did not prevent people from learning about the matters intended to be suppressed, but, unfortunately, all too often, the facts were garbled or misinterpreted. The duty of the Government to move in the matter of new and liberal censorship was clear, and early action was hoped for.