Political Capital From The Wahine

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26513, 30 August 1951, Page 6

Political Capital From The Wahine

We print this morning a statement from Mr A. McLagan in reply to the leading article in which “The “ Press ” discussed his blatant attempt to make political propaganda out of the stranding of the Wahine—an attempt that has been repeated, with an equal lack of propriety, by the leader 'of the Labour Party. Mr McLagan repeats his assertion that “The Press’’ suppressed information about the equipment of the Wahine; and he now describes our. answer to his charge as “clumsy misrepresenta“tion In his statement he shows even less regard for facts than he showed in his election speech. He says, for instance, that “ The Press ” asserted that “ the matter is sub “judice”. We did not. A matter of this kind becomes sub judice in a technical sense only when it is brought before a judicial tribunal, just as a breach jsf criminal law becomes sub judice only when a charge is laid. But it would be no less improper for a newspaper to speculate—or allow its correspondents or advertisers to speculate—upon the causes of a marine disaster than it would be to comment on the fitness of a motor-vehicle involved in a fatal road accident, or, indeed, on the sobriety of the driver. Regardless of the legal position, there are common decencies to be observed In matters of this kind* In accordance with its usual practice, '‘The Press” refused to print a letter which commented upon a matter which was bound to be investigated by a competent tribunal. That is the proper and accepted practice; and it would not have been questioned, even by Mr McLagan, except for one thing—there is an election within a few days, in the ordinary course Of events, the public, Mr McLagan included, would have been content to withhold comment and discussion until all the facts had been established and discussed before a judicial tribunal and a judicial finding returned. But Mr McLagan, primed by a busybody with a single fact which he bellevm to be damning to the Government, could not wait for the judicial Inquiry and the judicial verdict— because there is an election within a few days. And so Mr McLagan took the first opportunity to make public his one precious and, as he believes, incriminating fact, in the hope that it would serve a double purpose, to discredit both the Government and the newspapers which support the Government—for there is an election within a few days. Mr McLagan claims that his reference to the Wahine in his political speech was not “ comment ’’—that is, an expression of opinion—and that he does not comment now. “ The “ Press ” is content to let the public judge the merits of that claim. One other matter raised by Mr McLagan needs to ba noticed- He affects to And some inconsistency in the edi-