SPECIAL POLL ON MARCH 9

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22850, 21 January 1949, Page 6

SPECIAL POLL ON MARCH 9

BETTING & HOTEL HOURS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 20. The special poll on the issue of off-course betting will take place on Wednesday. March 9, and at the same time the special polls under the Licensing Act, including the issue of hotel hours, also will be taken.

opportunity. There appeared to be no explanation whatever for the evasive mannei in which the Evening Post and the Auckland Star reporters were treated by the Air Department (on the Friday in Wellington) unless there was an underlying instruction regarding the release of information to the press and an understanding with the same department that the press were not to have information. said Mr Leicester.

No Control Over Civilian Rescuers Counsel submitted that the Army had no control over civilian rescuers and that the police had no statutory right to impose on any volunteer rescuer any restrictions regarding the giving of information to the press. He pointed out that neither the Armv nor the police had sought to establish that rescuers were bound by their instruction.—The evidence of representatives of the Army and police was a denial, not a justification. Mr. Madden had said that he had no reason to believe that the instruction sent to Constable Phillips at Ohakune on the Saturday morning had not been passed on to Cowern’s Mill. Constable Phillips had said that the message was passed on, and it was clear that the press were not given a free hand and were, in fact, impeded, and the instruction emanating from Mr. Nash was ignored. Mr. Godfrey, one of the rescuers, had said he had been instructed not to give information to the press and he was afraid that, if he did, he would be arrested and fined. Civilians Intimidated

Continuing his submissions. Mr. Leicester said that some policeman or Air Force officer seemed to have intimidated civilians to prevent them from giving information. There had been a bald series of statements that there was nothing in the press complaints. Captain Slade-Jones’ evidence was a negation of the real facts. If there was no trouble, why all the complaints and the lifting of the ban after six o’clock on Saturday? The common man did not want his news channelled through a Government department, but wanted it gathered in a free, untrammelled manner from its source.

Mr. J. F. B. Stevenson, for the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association, submitted that the main question was whether the- freedom of the press had been infringed. It was the last of our liberties to be gained—about the middle of last century. Newspapermen in Britain and in the Dominions could be trusted, and had been trusted. He knew of no instance in New Zealand where newspapermen had committed a breach of that trust.

Strange Departure It seemed strange, if newspapermen could be given highly important news in wartime, that at Ruapehu restrictions had been imposed and information to which the public was entitled was not freely given. The withholding of news, or restrictions on obtaining news, achieved the same result as preventing publication. The newspapermen at Horopito had been prevented from obtaining Information from civilians, said Mr. Stevenson. He did not know what was the legal authority for this action. One precedent created another and they soon accumulated and became law. If the newspapermen had not protested the next case might be the same or worse. It was important that they should have the right to publish news as they saw it.

Mr. Stevenson submitted that there was something very pecuhar about the evidence given for the Crown. There was a mystery about the message and he submitted that the evidence of the Director of Civil Aviation could not be relied on. Actions Entirely Wrong Mr. Stevenson further submitted that the actions of the police were entirely wrong and there had been infringements of the rights of private citizens and of reporters carrying out their duties. There had been unjustified and unwarranted interference with reporters and photographers in obtaining information of public interest. The chairman. Sir Harold Johnston:: Are you satisfied they did not bring it on themselves? Mr. Stevenson said it would be surprising if all of them suddenly developed a set of bad manners. Moreover the Crown’s view did not support any suggestion that the pressmen were at fault. It was reasonable and proper that information should have been given promptly to the acting-Prime Minister and the National -Airways Corporation, but there was no reason why information should not have been given at the same time to the press. Information was withheld until a protest was made to Mr. Nash.