MR MUNRO’S SPEECH

Evening Star, Issue 22195, 25 November 1935, Page 16

MR MUNRO’S SPEECH

EMPHATIC DENIAL ISSUED WRONG CONSTRUCTION ALLEGED - The following statement by Mr J. W. Alunro, ALT’., Las been issued to the newspapers throughout New Zealand : “Mr J- W. Munro, M.P., for Dunedin North, on his return to Dunedin from Central Otago on Saturday evening, emphatically denies that anything in his Woudliangh speech could bo so construed as to mean that the Labour thirty, an avowedly constitutional political "party, would under any circumstances resort to using guns or smashing anything as attributed to liirn.” Mr Munro further states that the report in the ‘ Otago Daily Times’ of'Friday, the 22nd, was a deliberate and unscrupulous misquotation of his speech.” MR JONES'S STRICTURES REPORT A “ DELIBERATE FAKE " “ It was a deliberate fake,” said Mr F Jones, the Labour candidate for Dunedin South in referring during the course of a speech at St. Clair on Saturday night to the report of Air J. W Atunro’s meeting that appeared in the - ‘ Otago Daily Times ’ of Friday morning. ‘ For about an hour and a-hait Mr Jones had addressed the meeting on more or less orthodox party hues, and it was not till near the end that he commenced an attack on the Press. Referring to the reported remarks of Mr Alunro as a deliberate fake, Air Jones said that his ‘Labour colleague left town the next morning, and had not had the opportunity of replying, but now said that the report was a fake, and’ was put in with the deliberate intention of frightening the public. “ If the report was a genuine one, whv did not the ‘ Evening Star ’ also publish it?” asked Air Jones. ‘‘The report did not appear in the ‘ Star ’ on Friday night, but appeared in that paper the next night as an advertisement. If Mr Afunro said what he is reported to have said, why did not the ‘ Evening Star ’ reporter report it? Of the two papers the ‘ Evening Star ’ has the more decency.”

The ‘ Star ’ did not report Mr Munro simply because no 1 Star ’ representative was present at the meeting.— Editor.

After further reference to the ‘ Otago Daily Times,’ which, he said, was using all the dirty tactics it could to discredit the Labour Party, Air Jones said the Press was afraid that the Labour Party, if it got into power, would curtail some of its privileges. “ We are giving the Press enormous privileges,” ho claimed, “ as, for instance, in Press Association messages.” “ There have been more reporters following Labour candidates around at this election than at any other,” said Air Jones, “ witli the idea of setting deliberate traps for Labour speakers.” In the case of Air Alunro, be added, some words spoken had lent themselves to reconstruction, and by altering the context of them the ‘ Otago Daily Times ’ had created a false impression.

Mr Jones repeated that he considered the* report in the ‘ Times ’ was a deliberate fake, and that Air Alunro’s remarks had been wilfully misrepresented.

After dealing with other matters Mr Jones returned to the Press. .Dealing with B broadcasting stations, he claimed that those stations should be allowed to broadcast advertising matter, and expressed the opinion that the Press was afraid that its dividends would be cut down if the B stations were allowed to carry on. Shortly, the people would be able to listen to, broadcasts of Parliament. The Press did pot like this, because it would not be able to fool the people as it had been doing. There would be no three columns of Mr Downie Stewart and half a dozen lines about the reply by a Labour member. “ That is why the Press is fighting us to-day,” concluded Mr Jones. “ It is afraid its power is going to be lost,” DISCREDITS ALL REPORTS MR PETER NEILSON’S ATTITUDE A vicious attack on the Press and the integrity of its reports was made by Mr Peter Xeilson at the Mornington Baptist Chinch Hall on Saturday night. Ho'hiaid he was not prepared to accept anything which appeared in a report in the Press, notwithstanding that the papers said it actually took place. The Labour Parly had been subjected to a terrific bombardment from the newspapers, said the chairman (Mr J. Hickson) in his introductory remarks. Anything its candidates said was distorted beyond all reason, and the newspapers had reached a stage bordering on intolerance, calling the Labour candidates Communists and outlaws of all kinds. Anything pertaining to Labour was abused. “ It savours of—well, it is pretty hard to say here, but I have a word for it,” .said Mr Dickson., “ When you kiiow that those behind the Press stand to lose, you don’t have to look far to find the reason for the policy of vilifying the party that is prepared to stand out for the people all tho time,” commented Mr Xeilson. Later in tho meeting Mr Xeilson read a statement handed to him by the chairman. Mr Munro had issued a challenge to, the ‘Otago Daily Times ’ and ihc ‘ Kvcniug .Star ’ to publish ihc whole of his speech, said Mr Xeilson. The same speech would be delivered _ again on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Prom Banfurly on Friday Mr Munro had telegraphed to Mr M. J. Savage (Leader of the Labour Party) as follows:—“Deny speech through tile Press Association.” So far it has not appeared in the papers here.

“ There is one thing,” added Mr Neilson. “ 1 was speaking in the open air at Lawrence street last night, and one man was very persistent. 1 do not know whether or not he was sent there by the Press. He may not have been, but it appeared to he a very persistent attempt. If not, he acted in a manner which led one to believe that he was asked to ask the question. He asked me if the statement Mr Munro was reported to have made was the policy of the Labour Party. The policy of the Labour Party has been before the people for some_ weeks now, and 1 do not think they will find those things in it. I asked the man if he had the whole report as printed, hut he had only a piece. I told him to go home and road that Mr Munro was speaking

metaphorically. 1 said: ‘I don’t suppose you understand the meaning of the word.’ ”

“ That was nob the policy of the Labour Party,” declared Air Neilson. “ I was not at Air Alunro’s meeting and cannot say what he said, but, as a man who has taken a very considerable interest in public affairs for some years back, 1 know I have been vilified and misrepresented through the daily Press lie re on more than one occasion. And 1 am not prepared to accept anything the daily Press puts in, notwithstanding- that they actually say it took place.” As an illustration of “ the difference between the statement a man made and what the papers made out lie said,” Air Neilson quoted an Auckland journal, the ‘ Wake-Up,’ exposing “ vilifications and lies printed in the daily Press.” Air Afackeir/.ie King, the leader of the Liberal Party, which was returned in Canada, had said, in a speech at Saskatoon; —“ Canada is faced with a great battle between the money-power and the power of the people, a battle which will be waged in the new Parliament. I plead for a sweeping Liberal victory to carry out my policy of public control of currency and credit. Until the control of currency and credit is restored to the Government and recognised as its most conspicuous and sacred responsibility all talk of sovereignty of Parliament and democracy is idle and futile.” The ‘ New Zealand Herald’s ’ version was that Canada as a whole had declined to accept programmes which aimed at drastic changes in the social or economic systems already existing. Could anything be more misrepresentative of wbat Mr King said than that quotation? asked Air Neilson. “ I read that to show that we cannot be too careful of what the opposition Press saj's a candidate says,” concluded Mr Neilson. “In view of Air Alunro’s statement to-night, which has not been sent through the Press Association, it looks fishy to mo.” Another reflection on the Press was made during his address by Air Neilson. He was referring to the Democrat candidate. His remark was: —“ Air Wren, in his reported speech—l don’t know if it was correct —said . . .” “ STAMPEDING ELECTORS " LABOUR LEADER ALLEGES “ WICKED ATTEMPT " [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, November 24. In the course of an address at an open-air meeting on Saturday , night the Leader of the Opposition, Air Al. J. Savage, referred to the Press message from Dunedin and the statement made by the Prime Alinister at Timaru to the effect that Air J. W. Alunro had stated, that “ the Labour Party had a plan prepared which will he put into action the moment a mn on the Savings Bank is commenced,” and that “ somebody might be put in gaol who least expects it to-day ”; further, that “ if we cannot carry out our policy we will go out and smash things.” “ Air Alunro has since telegraphed* an assurance to me,” said Air Savage, “ that the Press account was ‘ an unscrupulous misquotation ’ of his remarks, and I am not surprised in the least to find that such tactics arc being used by political opponents. After having known Mr Alunro ror over a quarter of a century I find it very difficult to believe he would be capable of making such an irresponsible mid misleading statement as is attributed to him.” Dealing with the statement alleged to have been made by Air M inro, Air Savage stated that in the first place the Labour Party did not antie pate any run on flic Savings Bank, ,url had never discussed any plan to ileal with such a remote possibility. In the second place, it was not the policy of the Labour Party to put their political opponents in gaol, as that looked too much like the policy of the present Government. Thirdly, it was not the intention of the Labour Party “ to go out and smash things ” in the event of difficulty in implementing its policy. Things had already been smashed by the Coalition Government. The policy of Labour was to build.

Mr Savage concluded by saying that a wicked attempt was being made to stampede the electors on the eve of the elections. He gave his personal assurance and the assurance of the Labour Party that they would remain true to their election pledges, which were to carry out the functions of government by constitutional means, and with the co-operation of the people. A vote of thanks to Mr Savage and confidence iu .him and the Labour Party was carried with enthusiasm.