Suspension Of Studio Officer Follows Publication Of Letter

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14859, 22 December 1948, Page 3

Suspension Of Studio Officer Follows Publication Of Letter

Resolutions Of Public Service Executive

Action Taken By Prime Minister’s Department

(P.A.) Wellington, Dec. 21. Mr, Cecil Holmes, the employee of tlie National Film Unit who was named in the statement by the acting-Prime Minister, Mr Nash, published in the Bay of Plenty Times, was suspended this afternoon. This action was taken by the acting head of the Information Section of the Prime Minister’s Department, Mr C. H. Williams. In the absence on leave of the chairman of the Public Service Commission, Dr H. M. Campbell, a member of the Commission, Mr G. T. Bolt, said tonight that Mr Holmes had been suspended. This was confirmed by Mr Williams, whose department controls the National Film Unit. The statement made by Mr Nash was discussed at the regular fortnightly meeting of the national executive of the Public Service Association tonight. Mr Holmes did not attend the meeting. Resolutions supporting Mr Lewin and accusing the acting-Prime Minister of trying to “smear” {he president and officers of the Public Service Association were passed. The documents handed by the acting-Prime Minister, Mr Nash, to the press and published this morning were taken from a departmental car in his charge near Parliament Buildings on November 26, said Mr Cecil Holmes, film director of the National Film Unit, in a statement tonight. Mr Holmes said he reported to the police on November 27 that his satchel and departmental camera equipment had been stolen from the car. The police told him today that they had still not been found. The acting-Prime Minister, Mr Nash, declined to state the cource of the information which prompted his statement last night concerning the letter written by Mr Cecil Holmes, a member of the National Film Unit. Mr Nash denied that the letter had been pilfered from Mr Holmes’ car. It was learned today that the lunchtime meeting at the studios of the National Film Unit at Miramar was held on November 26 when about 80 members were present. The letter by Mr Holmes was written on the previous day.