UNION THREAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25298, 7 August 1943, Page 4

UNION THREAT

DICTATION TO NEWSPAPERS ULTIMATUM REJECTED (Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 6. An unsuccessful attempt has been made by a trades union to dictate to the Sydney newspapers the type of political comment and advertising they should publish. This has been stated by Mr R. A. Henderson, general manager of the Sydney Morning Herald? acting on behalf of Sydney’s daily newspapers. <•. The issue was first raised when some of the chapels of the Printing Industry Employees’ Union . protested to the newspapers’ management against the publication, of certain editorial comment critical of the Federal Labour Government. The chapel representatives told the newspapers that unless they moderated their comment the Trades and Labour-Council might declare them “black,” in which case the chapels would be forced to cease work. Subsequently, the union recorded its “strongest disapproval.” of the tone of certain Opposition political advertisements and stated that its members would be advised not to set or handle this class of advertisement. The newspapers resisted this and in a statement made on their joint behalf Mr Henderson said: “The proprietors of the daily papers of Sydney are inflexibly determined that the responsibility for what appears in their various publications is entirely their own, subject only to the law of the land. If any person or body is aggrieved or injured by anything that is published they can have recourse to the appropriate legal remedies. The newspapers will not tolerate that any censorship should be exercised over what they publish by their own employees or any outside body whatso-. ever. They point out that any such threat of direct action is a blow against, freedom of speech and freedom, of the: ! press, which are an essential part of: the democratic system. Such rights are not the prerogatives of newspaper proprietors in their own interests; - they are held by them in trust for the public. The proprietors will resist to the last ditch any attempt to interfere with this freedom.”

The Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin, said that he had directed the attention of the chief censor to, an advertisement published in the Sydney newspapers which stated: “If your soldier hasn’t enough to eat, blame the Curtin Government.” Wilful misstatements in advertisements, Mi’ Curtin said, were of assistance to the enemy, and the suggestion that the advertisement should be transmitted to members of, the forces was subversive 6f discipline. The military authorities had reported that there '■ was no shortage whatever in the supply of food to Australian troops, and that the organisation for bringing food to the troops was excellent and completely effective. Mr Curtin said he had also asked the Attorney-general, Dr H. V. Evatt, to examine the position' concerning the person who authorised the advertisement..