Vital Importance To World Of Free Press

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1948, Page 3

Vital Importance To World Of Free Press

LONDON, Thur. (10 a.m.) —The chairman of the Australian Associated Press (Mr R. A. Henderson), speaking at a dinner at the Savoy Hotel, given by the general manager of Reuters (Mr C. J. Chancellor) for the Reuter Board and senior members of Reuters staff, said: “We are living in the twilight of democracy. “That is why freedom of the Press is so important.”

“Yet. at this terrible crisis for democracy and its survival, you have restrictions imposed upon newspapers under guise of national necessity. "Those who impose the restrictions do not appreciate how great a disservice they arc doing to the common good and the public interest —whether they impose restrictions upon consumption of newsprint, upon free travel of correspondents, or upon transmission facilities and communications. •‘lt is one of the real tragedies of a very tragic situation that those who have most to lose from any weakening of democratic structure have been among the first to impose such restrictions.

Fares From Broken Tramway Wire

WELLINGTON, Fri. (P.A.)—An unusual fire occurred in George ar.d George’s shop in Riddiford Street, Newtown, yesterday. A stay wire holding the overhead tram wires snapped and one end of it fell across the overhead wires and the other on to the shop verandah, making it “alive." The current was carried from the tram wires to the shop’s switchboaid by the electric supply lines, setting fire to the switchboard and burning out the wiring. Where the wire hit the verandah roof it acted as a welding torch and an iron telegraph pole was welded to the iron of the roof.

"Never in the world's history has a free Press and the widest possible means of dissemination of news been more necessary tnan now.

“Whether, on account of the dollar crisis, or whatever reason is given, I do not think it is possible to justify any restrictions upon those freedoms. "it is a tragedy that, passing through the present crisis, British newspapers should find it impossible to secure the raw materials necessary to ensure real freedom of the Press.”

Current from the tram wires was also carried by an earth wire to the back of an adjoining shop, where the roof began to smoulder. The brigade had little difficulty in quelling both outbreaks.