PORT OFFICE INTERFERENCE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 298, 7 December 1911, Page 4

PORT OFFICE INTERFERENCE.

jNIHGXATiC'A SCI 111 : IO have bel li an iced th'i.'.'.ge. ut I tic I> minion !>;. Iho lictii.:. >f the pest office ant In rit ies in bi Wing ovi r delivery of i” wspapi rs alleged to contaiii mattir infringing the i leet c.’cil law. Tin lire.”; i f both siili s < f politii 'FI

■.. pin. >:i has risen in urnis against this apparently unjustifiable and certainly imp :ht ie pr-.ccediiig. The following i'ri.in tin ’'Dum dii: Stt-.r, ’ a in vvspapi r which suppc.ris tl:<‘ (iiv ci-iiiiiint I’-irty. in pt.bli.-hing a Puss Association mesrage announcing the hold up ihere. makes the fi.lii -.-. ing < diti.rial comment "This is a piece of impcrtiiient interference ;i tfie part -f the postal authcrii ies with the rights i.f the Press. Subsecti< ii B < f ■■ict id 157 of the Lt gu latere Act. iiiklh- which the deparim< tit proi’. -sc.s to ha-, c acted, reads ihti s : - Every person i- liable ti. a fine n< : < xeccding E’2'.'. who at an election . . . prints or distriliv.lts or delivers io any person :n the flay :f the ]>oll. or aan;.' time during the three days immediately preceding the poll, anything being, or purporting to lie. an imitation of anv btillol papi r to be used at the poll, and having then on tiie names < f t'm < andidates. together with anv dirt ;•< i< ti or imd ii-nt ion as to h >w any tx rs -n sb.- nld vote, er in a:-', way <<.maining any sirn-h dir. etioii 1.1 indication, or having tl irti.ii any inal’.cv iikelv to miT.Kiier- any vote. We should wry iinirli like to know ntii.'i e v. tiai tiuiiitc the Postal Depar. incut. <-<mstitut.es itseii' a censor, and exrrci.ms ci nso- ial po’.vi ”s. in a .mm < f pr -f< tltrl prime ' Wi wer-> ah.its umicr th” iiupi - ssii.u 1 mil tin- law. ;■*, laid down in th, aln.ve statute, mipln.- llcii Ii gal pro; < oiling ■• must be duly instituted, and (Id the burden of proving an offi net- tiu-rcuiiiii r i-i s on the (T :wii. This is very mimii !ik< Jedburgh justice. Tim w. rm r that Nd' -b a p,h Ward int erferi— ami ph-.Hits hi - d-'pa: t mental <.Tii-vrs from making u< il "tup'll I dm'-1< rs the ni-ttl-r.

| H'e hold opinions upon political J questions and are prrpareel without I ’ic-.taiiom without fear ot temporI a>y commercial loss, to express

, thicm. Wr are lien- to gtiieie the ‘ people so far as it is in our power, I irrespective of party or personal foitsideratious. The mail who lias I political opinions which are op posed

to those we advocate- ourselves is as free to the use of our columns as if he were with us in his thoughts. We are not here to force our opinions upon the people, but to give them a free press in the truest sense of the word hi the contest which concludes this evening we Inijie we can claim to have treated no man unfairly . Air. Hill’s tribute last night and the others which followed his utterance justify our belief that we have earned appreciation in Napier and among the numerous candidates of Hastings given each man a straiglit deal, irrespective of liis political opinions. We ask no higher reward than to be trusted by the people.