AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 June 1942, Page 6

AUSTRALIA

3ENAT3 AND PRESS. CANBERRA, June 3. Because of objections raised to an article headed “Those Meddlesome Old Men of the Senate,” which appeared in the “Sunday Telegraph” on May 17, the Commonwealth Senate has decided to exclude representatives of the Sydney “Daily Telegraph” and the “Sunday Telegraph” from the precincts of the Senate. The president of the Senate (Senator Cunningham) said he had called upon the editor-in-chief of the “Daily Telegraph” to publish an apology, but the management refused to do so. The exclusion of the representatives of the newspapers will remain until an apology is published.

Senator Ashley said he strongly dissented from the attitude taken by the president. Senator Ashley'said the article was written by an individual who is a columnist, and the newspaper had been penalised for the action of an individual. Senator Ashley said he would not agree to suppression or restriction where criticism was concerned. The “Daily Telegraph,” in a leading article to-day, says an apology was refused because the newspaper refused to be coerced, but offered the president of the Senate every facility to answer the criticism of the writer of the article. Richard Hughes. The “Daily Telegraph” says it replied to the president’s utimatum, pointing out that his threat established a grave precedent that was likely to undermine the function of newspapers as untrammelled reporters of parliamentary proceedings. CONSPIRACY ALLEGED. PERTH, June 3. Four internees held in custody since March are facing the Chief Justice (Sir John Northmore) and a. jury in the Criminal Court on an indictment, which they deny, of having contravened the Crimes Act, between February 1 and March 9 this year, by conspiring to assist a public enemy, the Japanese empire. The accused are Laurence Frederick Bullock, aged 44, an organiser for the Primary Producers’ Association, Charles Leonard Williams, aged 35, an insurance agent, Edward Cunningham Quirke, aged 30. a dairy farmer, and Nancy Krakouer, aged 29, an employee of the Postal Department. The Crown's contention was that, the prisoners took part in activities aimed at the overthrow of the Curtin Government and the substitution of an Australia First National Socialist Government. After welcoming invading Japanese and assisting them, by “liquidating” prominent personalities and destroying key works, they intended to order the Australian military forces to cease fire and lav down their arms. It was also alleged that the accused drew up a proclamation to be broadcast by Bullock, as leader, announcing the establishment of the new order, and paving tribute to the Japanese, “our friends and liberators.” The proclamation would also outline a programme of political and social reconstruction. The hearing is continuing.

MUNITION WORKERS’ HOMES

SYDNEY, June 3. More than one thousand homes ol a standard type for munitions’ workers and their families in various parts of New South Wales, are to be built almost immediately. At present many of the munitions workers arc obliged to live in tents near thenwork. The houses will be ol h' 3lo or weatherboard construction. They will be only small, but they will contain a bathroom, a living-room and a number of bedrooms. Provision will be made for the later addition oi. other rooms. , Making this announcement, tne N.S.W. Minister of the Local Government, Mr. McGirr. said: “The houses will remain in use only for the duration of the war. The expansion oi the war industries in the country towns has made the lack of housing accommodation therein a major problem. Some of the workers nave had to travel a.s much as sixty or eighty miles a day to and Irom then work.”