ON THE PLATFORM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1296, 27 November 1911, Page 6

ON THE PLATFORM.

WELLINGTON SOUTH. MB. WEIGHT AT NEWTOWN. Mr. R. A. Wright, Opposition. candidate for Wellington South, addressed an open air meeting at Wilson Street, Newtown, on Saturday evening. There was a good audience, and tho speaker received a very attentive hearing. Amongst other questions dealt with was the amendments made to tho libel law by tho present Government. It was pointed out thai formerly, if a person was charged with libel, and could prove that the statements made were true, and in the interests of tho public, the defence was held to be complete. But now the accused person is compelled to prove, firstly, that the statements were in the interests of the public, and, secondly,- that they were triie. Jt was impossible to prove the former, and a.person charged with criminal libel has an excellent chance of being fined ,£IOO or getting three mouths' imprisonment. The candidate severely condemned this state of affairs, because it took away from the jury the power to convict or acquit a person, and placed him entirely in the hands of a magistrate in the cmploy of the Government. He considered it one of the most dangerous enactments passed by tho present Government, because it" struck a blow at freedom of speech and tho liberty of the press. Ho also referred to the action of the Government in bovcotling certain newspapers becauso of their political convictions. There were three papers Hint had been treated in this way, a notable instance being Thr Dominion. .It was clear, from what had been disclosed by one member of Parliament, that The Dominion: was denied Government advertisements becauso of its criticism. The parly in power permed determined to punish a newspaper for the free expression of ils opinion on political matters. It was not denied that Tuk Dominion- had a largo circulation, but. notwithstanding.this fact any Government advertisements that might be of interest to its readers were published at its own expense. Evidently the Government were determined to punish a newspaper which criticised its actions, and, if to crush it out of existence.