ATTACK ON PAPER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 282, 12 November 1936, Page 5

ATTACK ON PAPER

Challenge to Premier of Tasmania NO REPLY FORTHCOMING The peaceful flow of Tasmanian newspaper life was interrupted recently when the Labour Premier, Mr. A. G. Ogilvie, in the House of Assembly attacked “The Examiner,” Launceston, and its editor.

Recently. Mr. Ogilvie fell out. with “The Examiner”, which, though' giving him and his Ministers much space in its news columns for their statements, has reserved the right to criticise them editorially.

Mr. Ogilvie recently decided, following publication by “The Examiner” of pre-session news concerning Government bills, including a Constitution Amendment enabling the Government to wipe out the Legislative Council, that he would withhold all Government news from the paper. This resulted in the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. S. Baker, moving a motion for the adjournment to enable the House to discuss the decision of the Government. In his reply, Mr. Ogilvie said “The Examiner” had deliberately, misrepresented, cut, and otherwise maltreated ministerial statements, and then he continued: This newspaper got into the hands of the banks, it has a big overdraft, and represents the banks in the Bailliou group. I know who is in control and .who influences its policy . .. A gentleman with the fine old English name of (Natusch is in charge of this paper. He is controlled by the Bailliou group, and it is he who alters our statements.”

Mr. W. R. Rolph, senior member ot Messrs. W. R. Rolph and Sons Phy., Ltd., immediately issued the following statement:—

“I give a categorical denial to the statements made by the Premier (Mr. A. G. Ogilvie) in reference to the ownership and control of “The Examiner.” This newspaper is owned and controlled solely, by myself and members of my family. Our editor, Mr. Guy Natusch, was appointed solely by myself and my sons. If the Premier made outside the House of Assembly, jn a place where he has not the protection of privilege, the statement made by him in the House of Assembly yesterday and published in this issue, he would be liable to legal proceedings and forced to prove his statements in a Court of Law.”

Mr. Rolph also published the following certificate, signed by Hedley. ABennell, chartered accountant (Aust.}-. “I hereby certify that the whole of the shares in Messrs W. R. Rolph and Sons Pty., Ltd., who are, the sole proprietors of “The Examiner” and “The Saturday Evening Express”, are held by Mr. R. Rolph and members of his family. No other person has any shares whatsoever in .the company.” Tlie reply of the editor, Mr. Guy Natusch, who before he went to Tasmania, was for ten years well-known to the newspaper reading public of New South Wales, and prior to that was a Wellington (N.Z.) journalist, was as follows; —

“In the course of his attack of 'The Examiner’ in the House of Assembly Yesterday, the Premier said: ‘A gentleman with the fine old English name of Natusch is in charge of this paper,’ If Mr. Ogilvie desires further information about the name of ‘Natusch’ he is advised to obtain a copy of the records of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force sent by. the Dominion to Gallipoli, Franco and Palestine during the Great War. He will see therein the names of five brothers of this family, three of whom won commissions, and were each wounded, one of whom was mentioned in despatches, and another of whom was awarded the Military Cross for bravery in the face of the enemy.”

Since then a deep silence has fallen upon the Premier.