TAPPING THE LINES

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1947, Page 2

TAPPING THE LINES

POSTMASTER-GENERAL DENIES CHARGES “UNJUSTIFIED: UNTRUE” [SPECIAL TO STAR] WELLINGTON, Feb. IL “To endeavour to convey to the public the impression that telephone lines are tapped is definitely not justified, and the statement is utterly Jacking in truth,” said the Post-master-General, Mr Hackett, commenting on the article in the New Zealand Herald reporting the belief of departmental officials and others in Wellington that their telephone conversations were being monitored. The Minister said that such an allegation, based as it was on the flimsiest of reasons gained from individuals whose irresponsibility demanded that they remain anonymous, could only serve to undermine the confidence of the people in the Post and Telegraph Department. To deal such a cowardly blow at that department, which was the only “official organisation” able to perform such a technical job, was absolutely unwarranted.

“If the head of any Government department or any other official feels that anything is amiss in his department, surely his intestinal fortitude or his self-respect would compel him to request an explanation either from his immediate head or his Minister, rather than issue alarming statements to a reporter, and if any member of the public feels likewise, then it should immediately be reported,” said Mr Hackett. “No such reports have ever been received by myself or by my department. I can only dismiss the article as an irresponsible statement, with a shrewd suspicion that ‘the head of a Government department’ is fictitious.” An unqualified and flat denial, was given by the Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Department Mr P. N. Cryer, to the suggestion that telephone communications were being tapped by an “official agency. He said: “I hesitate to believe that any self-respecting person would not complain, if necessary to the Direc-tor-General in person, if he had reason at any time to think that there was leakage of information.