Serious Infringement Of Civil Liberties: Film Unit Charge

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22827, 23 December 1948, Page 8

Serious Infringement Of Civil Liberties: Film Unit Charge

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 23 A supplied report of a meeting ot the National Film Unit and Publicity Studios states: “At a section meeting of the Public Service Association attended by 44 members of the National Film Unit and National Publicity Studios held yesterday afternoon after working hours the following resolutions were passed: ■“(1) That this meeting of this section of the Public Service Association views with alarm the suspension of one of its members without any written reason being given for such suspension. In view of this reason not being supplied, it is assumed that the suspension is the result of the member's personal political views and such action, in our opinion, constitutes a serious infringement of civil liberties. Furthermore, the meeting wishes to record its disapproval of the Government's action in publishing private correspondence without the owner’s permission and would like some explantion as to how these private and personal papers came into the acting-Prime Minister’s possession. We ask the Public Service Association executive to endeavour to obtain an assurance that an individual’s private papers and other possessions will not be investigated except by constitutional methods. (Unanimous.’) “‘(2) The meeting wishes to record a strong protest at what is generally known as the ‘Holmes letter’ being used to obscure the major issue of the salaries campaign which continues to be the chief concern at the moment of this section of the Public Service Association. (One dissentient.’) “‘f3) Members of the National Film Unit and National Publicity Studios wish to pass a vote of confidence in Mr. Holmes as the section representative of the Public Service Association on account of his good work in the past. (Six dissentients.’ ”)