"FREEDOM OF SPEECH"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21874, 9 August 1934, Page 15

"FREEDOM OF SPEECH"

Sir, —In what has been said publicly in Auckland of late about freedom of speech there has been one gross flaw which, to my surprise, at least, has not yet been pointed out. Impassioned protests have, been made because certain people were arrested and punished for trying to address a crowd in Karangahape Road at a time when traffic was congested. So far as anything beyond the breach of a by-law was involved, it was not the right of free speech, but the right of assembly which, so far as I am aware, docs not go unfettered even in free England. Is not the London policeman's "Move along there" well known? Great play has lyeon made about the liberty to advocate any and even' doctrine in. Hyde Park. Would the orators who resort there be allowed similar licence to speak in Piccadilly Circus or the Strand when traffic was thickest? I think not. Karangahapo Road, at the time chosen to defy the by-law, was the Auckland equivalent of these thoroughfares. Personally, I do not greatly admire restraints on freedom of speech. I think thev are illadvised, to put it on the lowest plane. For one thing, they make cheap martyrdom so easy of attainment. At the same time, it may be suggested that University teachers ought to be capable of making for themselves such distinctions as that set out above; if they wish their words to carry weight they should think beforehand whether such a distinction should not be drawn. Some people seem to be disturbed' by the tone of what has lately emanated from the University College on such public questions. They should rather be disappointed at its superficiality. Of that characteristic there could be no bettor example than the lecture based on the Karangahape Road incident, to which Auckland was treated a few days ago. M. R. Herbert.