THE POSTAL INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3168, 20 August 1917, Page 6

THE POSTAL INQUIRY

ROYAL COMMISSION

THE CENSORSHIP QUESTION By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, August 18. The postal inquiry resumed to-day. The Rev. Howard Elliott was crossoxasnined at length, mainly in connection with his attitude toward tho Roman Catholics. Ho said he had been a Minister for twenty years, and commenced the propaganda when at school. At thie stage permission was given to take l the evidence of tho Solicitor-Gen-eral (Mr. J. W. Sa-lmond) for tho Department, as he had to leave for Wellington. He was responsible, lie said, for the drafting of the War Regulations. He had also been called, upon to. advise as to the censorship of correspondence and mail matter in New Zealand. At the end of IQI6 the attention of the authorities was drawn to the activities of the Committee of Vigilanco and the Rev. Howard Elliott. The first occasion was in December, 1910, when a communication was received by the At-torney-General with -which 'was enclosed a copy of the pamphlet, "The Hideoua Guilt of Rome in the European Carnage." He did not proposo to mention the name of the informant, but he could assure them that the writer was not a Roman Catholic. He came to the conolusion that the pamphlet was a mischievous publication, and that the association responsible should not be allowed to have unrestricted use of the Post Office for distribution. Ho sent a memorandum to Colonel Gibbon, wEo was in control of the censorship, enclosing the pamphlet, and staling that its circulation was likely to. be mischievous. The suggestion of censorship originated with, witness. He had no instructions from Ministers of the Crown. The suggestion had been made that censorship had been established in the interests of the Roman Catholio Church. He gave that suggestion an emphatio denial. : Ho thought tho oiroularion of the pamphlet would ffave a considerable effect on the recruiting of Roman Catholics. He had no reason to modify his views since then, except that he was inclined to regret that he had not made ,the censorship stronger. Cross-examined, witness said lie.was not a Catholio, and had no reason to believe Colonel Gibbon was. Hβ had not advised further restrictions. In saying he regretted that the censorship hnd not been stronger, ho was making no threat. Ho was inclined to think that tho Rev. Mr. Elliott couM have been prosecuted ■under the War Regulations of December ''Mr. OsOer: Is it not a fact that the' censor is -under tho control of the New Zealand Government?

■ Witness: How do you mean? Mr. Ostler: Could tho Government not say they do not want your services any moro?

Witness: Yes. There is no express power appointing the censor. Tho censor is appointed uuder Section 27 of the Post Office Act. •Mr Ostler: Why have you allowed Catholics to publish week by week a publication ?

Witness: I have not allowed it. Mr. Ostler: Havo you advised censorship over Catholic literature? ' Witness: I have advised in regard to countless publications, somo of them Catholic.

Mr. Ostler: Do you mean you may havo advised censorship over Roman Cat.l'oldc literature, and foifrotfcen it? Witness: I- havo no recollection. I suggest that you pursue the investigation on different lines. lam not going to disclose what I have advised the cenEor to' do. - "

Mr. Ostler: .Very :Well, we will draw our own conclusions. Can you tell whether tho Government intends to continue the censorship over thie association? , Witness: I cannot.