Daily Press, Labour Paper Under Fire

Northern Advocate, 15 March 1944, Page 4

Daily Press, Labour Paper Under Fire

(P.A*) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Press of New Zealand was again under fire in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. J. Thorn (Gov.-Thames) said it was high time that the catch-cry about “freedom of the Press" was de-, bunked. Today it meant that some squatter’s son, owner of slum property, some magnates of the insurance world and. one or two bankers started a newspaper, then told those employed to write for them to prop up a system giving them power over other men. This meant vilification of the Labour Government if it was in office and praise of the Tory Government, its stupidities .and cruelties.

It meant that if some stupid ass at a Farmers’ Union meeting alleged that butter had been dumped (Vito Nelson Harbour, he should be starred and given the most favourable headlines.

Such freedom was in fact a license to poison and corrupt the people. The censorship which had permitted papers to carry on a continual campaign against the Government throughout the war was not very exacting, and nobody had a right to protest against its exercise by the Government. Mr. G. H. Mackley (Opp.-Masterton) defended the daily Press of New Zealand. He said that not only had he a fair knowledge of the fairness of that Press, but also be had met many overseas visitors who had left New Zealand with the best impression of the New Zealand Press. That did not include the official organ of the Labour Party. There was no more partisan paper and no more dangerous organ than the “Standard.” It was full of bias and prejudice and pandered to the tastes of the people. The material in it would not be a credit to the “Yellow Press” of America.