MR NASH'S VIEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24970, 12 August 1944, Page 8

MR NASH'S VIEWS

POLICY OF NEWSPAPERS COMPLAINT AND A TRIBUTE (S.K.) WELLINGTON, Friday Replying to the debate in the House of Representatives today on censorship, the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, said tliero was nothing more important to good government than that judicial authority should be respected, and all decisions adhered to, so that the people could retain their faith in the Courts. That to him was as important as. or even more important than, anything else in the government of this country. It, wa.s for the Legislature to make the law. The Judiciary did not have that privilege; the Judiciary had the job of interpreting the law as it found it. Faith in Courts Vital The emergency regulations were not government regulations, the Minister claimed, but regulations which had been made law by the Emergency Regulations Validation Act. Their interpretation, however, had been challenged in the Court, which apparently considered the Director of Publicity had exceeded his powers, ft was vital to the country that the people should have absolute faith iu the Courts. "Thank God' we have a good Judiciary," said Mr Nash. "We may differ from them, but we must have faith in them, otherwise we lose something traditional which lias been built up during centuries' of British history." Discussing the freedom of the press, Mr Nash said that those editing newspapers had to do so according to the will ol the proprietors. That went for the Standard, too. An Opposition Member: Anyone can u rite letter.s to the editor, i Mr Nash: Hut cannot always get 1 hem pul.ili.shed. Part Played in War The Opposition, added Mr Nash, omitted the vital fact that editors wrote to order. Unless editors did so. they were dismissed. The press oi this country was better than any other he had seen, but there was nothing more unfair than its leading articles. If the press and Opposition would say the press was a National Political Party press, that would be all very well, but newspapers paraded their virtues of fairness.

However, during the war the press of the Dominion, mainly its editors, had several times been invited to Wellington to hear the Government's case oil the war effort, the Minister continued. and on each occasion there was less criticism after the facts had been explained. The press had always played the game when consulted in connection with the war. He had never known press representatives who attended these conferences to make any irresponsible use of the closely confidential information given them. They never once strayed from the path in this regard. He considered New Zealand's newspapers compared favourably with those of any other country, but they used their leading columns unfavourably to the Labour Government.

Attack on Director Deplored Referring to post a 1 censorship, Mr Nash said lie did not like it. but it- was important if necessary for the .safety of the land. A select committee was sitting 011 this subject, and if the Opposition had evidence it should submit it. A censor must have absolute power, and that could not be forever entering into arguments with people. The Minister said he deplored the attack on the Director of Publicity. "If the members attacking him were as clean-minded as he is—-they said his appointment was political and a reward for what he had done for the Labour Party—l would be very pleased," he added. "Any meeting of editors would confirm that the director was a cleanminded and honest man." Mr C. G. F. Tlarker (Opposition— Waipawa): Nobody on this side suggested that he was any other. Mr Nash claimed that no member of the Government would be a party to suppressing information of a political nature, and the censorship had never been used for party purposes. NAVAL PROMOTIONS NEW ZEALANDERS' RANKS (Special Correspondent) (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON. Aug. 10 Promotions of New Zealand naval personnel are announced as follows: Commander. —A. S. Winton, Auckland. Lieutenant. —P. S. Hutchinson. Auckland; B. D. Jukes, Wellington; A. J. Calder. Sub-lieutenant. —R. G. Ross. Takapuna; D. L. Sutherland, Dunedin; G. C. Alpe. Auckland; C. P. Lumber, Wellington; R. A. Scott. Oamaru; T. W. N. Hurst. Dargaville; C. Petersen. Devon port: ■). D. Carlson, Hltham; M. I). S. McClelland. Promotions to the following ranks in the Fleet Air Arm are also announced: Lieutenant. —A. A. Davidson. Wellington; G. M. Robertson, Oamaru; A. 13. Christie, Hastings. Sub-lieutenant. —P. S. Codd, Taihape; A. S. C. Belcher. Hamilton; N. I. Maeleod. Taranaki; G. H. Wilson, Christchurch. Born in England 39 years ago. Commander Winton, R.N.R., is the husband of Mrs A. S. Winton, of 16 Epsom Avenue. Coming to New Zealand 12 years ago, he lived for about two years in Auckland and the remainder of the time in Wellington as managingdirector of the Roneo Office Equipment Co., Ltd. Commander Winton was trained in England as a boy in the training ship Worcester, and served in the Merchant Navy. He retired as a lieutenant from the Royal Naval Reserve on leaving for Now Zealand and volunteered for service on the outbreak of war, entering the Navy a vear later and serving in H.M.N.Z.S. 'Achilles for about IS months. For a further IS months he was stationed at combined headquarters and he left for England last November, later serving as executive officer in H.M.S. Glenroy. It is believed he is still in that position. Tie took part in the invasion of France.

VALUE OF SECTIONS Reserved decisions have been given by the Auckland Urban Land Sales Committee on applications for consent to sales of sections in and near Paritai Drive, Orakei. The basic value of a section of J lop, with a frontage of 88ft to Paritai Drive, the snle of which at £IBSO was proposed, was fixed at £lllsO. This section was bought in If 10 for £9OO. In the case of n section of .'lop in Karori Crescent, a basic value of C 1.150 was fixed. The land had been bought in 1939 for £9OO and application had been made for approval of its sale at £1450.