SORDID DIVORCE CASES

Evening Star, Issue 19020, 15 August 1925, Page 12

SORDID DIVORCE CASES

DETAILS DEPRECATED MR HOLLAND’S CRITICISM. [Pek United Phess Association.] WELLINGTON, August 14. During the discussion on tho Post and Telegraph Department’s vote in tho House of Representatives Mr Holland referred to the protests ho had made some time ago against the use made by a section of the Press in regard to the telegraphic concession to secure what could only be termed as filth, such as the details of sordid divorce cases, cabled from England, and he reiterated his protest and said he considered the facilities of the Telegraph Department should not bo available for the dissemination of such filth throughout the country. Ho suggested that in cases where the papers published objectionable matter of this kind that came by cable the telegraph authorities should require such papers to pay ordinary commercial telegraph rates, and papers containing these details should pay ordinary rates of postage. He had noticed that since his protest in March the daily Press had published very little of these objectionable matters, but some weeklies printed details of cases embodying indecency. He hoped the Prime Minister would tell the House what had been done in the matter. Mr Coates said no censorship was exercised at present. That was left to the Press Agency, and so far as he knew no great fault could he found with what had been done by any agency in New Zealand. If, however, anything against the interests of public morality was being published, the Government would certainly bo justified in taking action.