LETTER OPENED

Grey River Argus, 27 January 1943, Page 1

LETTER OPENED

OPPOSITION LEADER’S COMPLAINT.

AGAINST CENSORSHIP.

P.A. . WELLINGTON, Jan. 25. Inquiries were made to-day by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) into the complaint by the Leader of the Oppositon (Mr Holland) that his correspondence had been opened and examined by an official of the Censorship Department. The result of these inquiries was contained in a letter written later in the day to Mr Holland by the Prime Minister, who stated that the action was entirely contrary to instructions, letters to or from members of Parliament not being subject to censorship. The full text of Mr Fraser’s letter is:—“l have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of January 22 in which you state that while ‘a communication containing highly confidential and strictly private information of great, importance, addressed to your private secrelqry at Wellington was in the hands of the Post Office it was opened and examined by an official of the Censorship Department before being dedivered. As the result, of immediate inquiries which I instituted, I am. advised by the Controller of Censorship (Mr G. McNamara) that he had seen rhe envelope and finds it was opened by~a censor in Blenheim. This action is entirely contrary to the instructions, which are perfectly clear on the point that letters to or from members of Parliament are not subject to censorship. “Mr McNamara states that the letter should not have been/ opened as on the face of it, it was clearly an official paper, and that the censor possibly did not notice the address, although the instructions are clear that it should be read. The Controller feels sure the opening was merely an error of judgment on the part of the censor at Blenheim, and is taking up the matter with thar. officer, with a view to obtaining a full explanation of his action. I understand that Mr McNamara has interviewed you personally and given you his explanation of the matter as far as lie is able to do so at present.”