SHARP PRACTICE

Grey River Argus, 20 November 1946, Page 5

SHARP PRACTICE

BY THE NATIONALISTS

Unfair Propaganda Among J. Force

P.A. WELLINGTON, Nov. 19. The Assistant Secretary of the Labour Party, Mr. A. J. McDonald, states: “Evidence has been received that Nationalist candidates have been sending political propaganda do the J Force members belonging to their respective electorates. This is directly contrary to the understanding which - was reached at the conference of all Parties when the arrangements for the despatching of propaganda were discussed. At that conference, convened by the Chief Electoral Officer, it was agreed, unanimously, in view of the printing and paper difficulties and of the limited space available in the aircraft carrying mail to Japan, to confine the publicity relating to each Party’s policy to the space allotted in a special edition of the J Force Times, and that no other publicity by any of the Parties be circulated. This was agreed to by all of those present, including the Nationalists, the Labour Party, the Democratic Labour Party, the Communists, the Licensed Trade and the Nev/ Zealand Alliance.

“Material that is sent out by individual candidates constitutes Party propaganda, and it is evident that a violation of the agreement was organised through the head office of the National Party, to whom the electoral roll of the servicemen in Japan was officially supplied. The Nationalists’ complete disregard for the letter and the spirit of the gentlemen’s agreement reached at the conference can be described only as sharp practice, which every citizen who believes in keeping agreements will condemn.’”