FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14653, 23 April 1948, Page 2

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

"NO INTERFERENCE," SAYS BOARD CHAIRMAN

REFERENCE TO FAIRNESS OF BAY OF PLENTY TIMES

(Times Special Reporter)

A suggestion that it might be advisable for the chairman (Mr W. Hudson Owen) to see reports of the meetings before they went into the Press, was put forward by Mr M. G. Cruikshanks, a member of the Kaituna River Board, at a combined meeting of the Kaituna River Board, To Puke Land Drainage Board and Tumu Kaituna Drainage Board at Te Puke on Wednesday evening. There were a lot of things that might get into the Press that should not be published, he added. "I would not do that," replied Mr Hudson Owen, who pointed out that he had always favoured all drainage meetings being open to the Press . "We should never interfere with the freedom of the Press" he added. Mr Hudson Owen stated that b*. had found the Press very fair. If he went to the Press and stated that he wanted to inspect reports before publication he . would probably be shown the back door. Mr Cruikshanks: We have a remedy. Mr J. T. Rcid, a former chairman of the Tauranga County Council stated that he had never once found the Bay of Plenty Times let the council down. Often, after a meeting, he would think back with concern over remarks that had been made during the course of a discussion, but they had always been treated by the Press in Tauranga with fairness.

There were times, he added, when* the council would receive confidential information which at the time it did not want to go out prematurely and the Press had, in his experience, always been fair. It was pointed out to the meeting that the Press possessed the right to report anything and everything that was said by any speaker at a meeting provided the discussion v/as not in committee. The Press was entitled to report any discussion right up to the time the meeting decided to go into committee.