UNFAIRNESS CHARGED

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 270, 10 August 1943, Page 6

UNFAIRNESS CHARGED

Refusal, Of Permit For Sunday Film

Complaint against the Wellington City Council's recent decision withholding permission for a Sunday concert to be held under the auspices of the Wellington East campaign committee, N.Z. Labour Party, in the Capitol Theatre, Miramar, is made by the secretary of the committee, Mr. A; R. Parkin, in a letter to the mayor, Mr. Hislop. “According to the newspaper report,” states Mr. Parkin’s letter, “the councillor who moved that permission be withheld stated that the picture which it was proposed to show at the concert savoured of political propaganda. This was iu fact absolutely wrong. as could have been ascertained ill a moment’s notice had the town Clerk cared to ring me or Mr. Semple, who was putting the film at the disposal of my committee. The film' ‘State. Housing in New Zealand,’ is a history qf the achievements of the "Housing Construction Department and has only a humanitarian aspect other than its historical aspect. The address to have been given by Mr. Semple would have been a commentary on the film only. The other items bn the programme were to have been given by the members of the Kilbirnie Wrestling and Sporting Club and would not have had any political significance whatever. The. proceeds were to have gone to the patriotic fund. “In these circumstances my committee feel, 1 think justly, aggrieved that (he arrangements they had made should have been cancelled so summarily and with unfair and unjustified newspaper publicity.”