ATTACK ON PRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22687, 27 March 1937, Page 13

ATTACK ON PRESS

LABOUR COMPLAINTS MR. F. W. DOIDGE REPLIES BASE INGRATITUDE Mr. F. W. Doidge wcites: —The, official olefin of the Socialist Government devotes the whole of its front page to a seven column denunciation of the Dominion press. It is clear that the Government is feeling its way toward some form of press censorship, with a. view to muzzling criticism. Was there ever such base ingratitude? The impartiality and toleration of the New Zealand press toward the Socialist Government since it took office has been remarkable. During the last session of the Dominion Parliament our newspapers gave approximately a page of news per day to reports of Parliamentary proceedings—mostly reports of speeches by Socialist members. Jn Britain, while the House of Commons is in session, it is rare that the national newspapers—with the exception of the Times —devote more than a column a day to the doings of Parliament. In Now Zealand Ministers of the Crown imagine that every time they make a speech they should be reported —and reported fully. In Britain a Minister's speech is only reported when it is worth reporting. .lust how deeply the Socialist Government is indebted to the New Zealand press is patent to all who stop to think. Take Mr. Savage's speech at the civic farewell in Wellington on Wednesday evening. Has anything raoro pathetic in the way of a speech ever been broadcasted? If the press had reported and published that speech as delivered, in all its incoherence, its constant reiteration of smug platitudes, and its innumerable "now then," people would have cut it out and preserved it as an amazing example of triumphant puerility. Instead, the abused reporters did as they always do—ironed it out, and presented it to readers as a statement which almost made sense. The official mouthpiece of the Government, in making a case for muzzling the press, complains of unfair criticism. How often the press forbears criticism. For instance, listeners-in recently heard the Prime Minister address the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and say, in effect:—(l) "I believe it is necessary to break down fiscal barriers throughout the world, and restore international trade." (2) "I fervently believe in the need for building up inter-Empire trade." (3) "I believe in the imperative necessity of protects ing local industries against overseas competition." Surety New Zealand newspapers might reasonably have queried the wisdom of so befogged a brain representing the Dominion in the councils of Empire. But they didn't. Specific complaint is made that the newspapers tried to "write down" the Prime Minister's recent tour of the Dominion. I was at Rotorua when Mr. Savage arrived and so far as that visit was concerned it can be said that rather than decrying the Prime Minister's tour, the press built a glamour round it. Yet this is the press an ungrateful Government wants to muzzle.