A STATE NEWSPAPER

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1929, Page 3

A STATE NEWSPAPER

WELLINGTON, Aug. 21. An announcement by the i; Prime Minister (Sir-Joseph Ward), in reply tbi a question Mr J. O’Brien (Lab., W’etsland), that the Government could not see its way to establish a S£ate led, to a .-long -anc(, rambling ,Ai®M£:to;day. vi ;Mr O’Brien "said that the suppression ’ ahd. distortion of Parliamentary Eeports had never been so noticeable ah' it-.. was td-day. The whole of the Pies of New. Zealand was in the hands of a few people. • } Mr D. Jones (R., 'Mid-Canterbury) complained with a smile that the , /.‘Worker” had. not reported his speech. ‘.‘Shocking 1” said Mr P. Fraser (Lab.,' Wellington Central), sympath..<bfeifealiyi/'!,;'; ••• ■- ■ ■ ’ Jones: You can. see. therefore the great disadvantage the workers of New Zealand have suffered. (Laughter). I wont to ask the Labour Party to take this matter up to see whether we can’t -get fair play, as far as the “Worker” is concerned; (Renewed laughter). • w/iMr G: L. Carr (Lab. Timaru) declared that'the standard of,the New Zealand Press which had been praised by distinguished visitors, was being in pertain quarters lamentably lowered from /time to time, and recently in par,.tifeular; Certain newspapers would dp well to take heed to' their ways.

Mr F; Langstone (Lab., Waimarino) said that personally he y did not care if 'he> never got a line in the newspapers. Tn his opinion the Press were masquerading as the representatives of pqblic opinion. The. Labour Party jjrqiild teachcthp Press, of-This country a deCent’and a very necesary lesson, he added. •' ‘