GRAVE CHARGES

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 38, 14 August 1917, Page 6

GRAVE CHARGES

AGAINST THE POST OHHCE

OPENING OF BOYAL

(81 TEMGMPH.— VKBSS iSSOCHITJOifc*

AUCKLAND, IStfe Auguafc,

The enquiry ordered by *he Govw* ment into the charges made by-Si* Ben* Howard Elliott against the AucfcfeusS Post Office officials was opened' this morning before Mr. H. W. Bishop, S-M., of | Christchurck Mr. A. Gray, KLC., Wellington, appeared on behalf of the Government,, and Mr. H. H. OsUer for Mr. Elliott and the Protestant PoStical As- ! sociation. Mr. W. R. Morris, Secretary of the Postal Department, and Mr. J. C. . Williamson, Chief Postmaster, Auckland, •were present. It has been decided' by Cabinet thai* ! matters connected with P.O. Box 912, \ regarding non-delivery of mail matter, in j regard to which complaint was made in | the House by Mr. J._ S. Dickson, shall be included, in -the investigation. ■ , Mr. Ostler then, read two charges as follows:—

(1) That of 25,000 "envelopes posted, containing printed circulars and cards of application inviting citizens to a meeting, a'great number were delivered empty toadressees, the circulars and cards having been, it was alleged, abstracted or lost in the course of the poet." (2) Envelopes containing notices to Protestant clergymen which were posted ■on Friday night, 6th July, at 11.20 p.jn_, at the Dominion-road Post Office, were improperly opened in the course of the post, and were improperly detained in the post office, so that none of these notices reached the addressees until after Sunday, Bth July, and the ministers were' thus prevented from notifying the congre- ■ gations""of the intended meeting at the Sunday services. \ Mr. Bishop, having stated that lie had received no instructions regarding investigation into the matters afiecting Box 912, Mr. Ostler obtained permission to read that charge as follows:-**

That the Loyal Orange Lodge and Protestant Political Association had for some time past been renting a private letter box (912) from the Post Office, andthat a military censorship had been established over correspondence addressed to thisbqk in the interests of the Koman Catholib Church. Almost all letters received by the lodge and the 4 association addressed to this box have borne the superscription "Passed,by military censor/ and many^ letters addressed to the association containing the address of this box have been improperly retained and not delivered at all, although .these letters had no connection with military matters or the war, and dealt exclusively with the subject of Pioman Catholicism. v Mr. Bishop read an extract from *al telegram forwarded by the Prime Minister and handed in by Mr. Gray, B stated: "As to charge No. 3, this in part relates to improper detention and to non-: delivery of letters addressed to 912, and in part relates to the actions, of the censor. Cabinet has no objection to the Commissioner investigating any\ charges relating to improper retention and to nondelivery of letters to Box 912, and relating to the suggestion that a system of censorship had been established over correspondence addressed to Box 912 in the interests, of the Raman Cathoiio Church, but inasmuch as the existence of a state of war has made the establishment of a censorship necessary, and as matteiis connected with arid arising out of the censorship are for reasons of State obvioasly secret, Cabinet cannot agree to allow the Commissioner to call upon any censor officer under control of the chief military censor to do anything more than explain what was done by him with any ]etter3 and documents referred to in yonr charge which may have come into his hands. A censor officer can give'no information and no reasons^ for ceiisormg any documents or correspondence wjjhin, New Zealand, or as to the scope anfl?extent of the censorship established in New Zealand-upon the outbreak of war."

Mr. Bishop said he was going to insist upon having absolutely definite and exceptionally particular instructions as to the powers of the Commission. 5o» that reason it would be better for him to have the commission ,'in full, in order to know exactly where he was. The enquiry was subsequently adjourned, sine die.