BAN ON MRS FREER

Kaikoura Star, Volume LVI, Issue 94, 30 November 1936, Page 3

BAN ON MRS FREER

‘ ‘ INFORMATION ’ ’ TO MINISTER PRESS COMMENT SYDNEY. November 2(5. The Daily Telegraph publishes details of correspondence which it alleges passed between the Minister of the Interior, Mr T. Paterson, and a man residing in Sydney in the Minister’s efforts “to obtain further evidence in support of the banishment of Mrs Freer.” The Telegraph says:—“One of the ; highlights is that the informant does not now pretend that the ‘information’ referred to the Mrs Freer who was banned.” “Another significant point,” it says, “is that after the man sent the ‘information’ to Mr Paterson he wrote suggesting that as a reward he should be given a job. In reply, Mr Paterson said, ‘You can rest assured that immediately I hear of something J think would suit you I will use my best endeavours on your behalf’.” The Daily Telegraph alleges that the criminal record of the informant includes convictions for false pretences and perjury, and adds, “All that remains to be said now is that the Prime Minister, Mr Lyons, has no alternative but to call for the immediate resignation of Mr Paterson. Unless this is done the public will certainly call.for the resignation of the Lyons Government.” The Sydney Morning Herald, in a leader, reviews the Freer case at length, and says that obviously the power of exclusion, which is a valuable and important one for national policy, should not be used for petty, personal, or domestic reasons. “Cabinet has three courses open to it! It should either give fully the reasons for the ban on Mrs Freer and thus justify its stand, or refer the case to inquiry, | or admit frankly that it has made a I mistake and rectify it in an honourable way by allowing Mrs Freer to land.”