“GREATLY DISTURBED”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27039, 25 March 1949, Page 9

“ GREATLY DISTURBED”

PERSONAL RIGHTS OF CITIZENS HOLMES CASE ECHO PA DANNEVIRKE, Mar. 24. Mr Holyoake, the Acting Leader cf the National Party, addressing a public meeting at Ormondville, and referring to the menace of Communism, made an extensive reference to what he called the “ Holmes case.” He had been greatly disturbed by events during the past few months. “ I consider the time will come when the Government should make a full explanation of all details connected with the Holmes case, and the Government should let us know just what powers it exercises in regard to interference with personal property for political purposes,” he said. “I notice from the press of February 18 that the council of the Federation of Labour resolved that the Government be asked to inquire into the circumstances of the Holmes case and that a report be made to the National Council of the federation, if necessary. “ I suggest that this report should be made to the public of New Zealand, not just to an auxiliary organisation of the Labour Party. It is the concern of everybody who values their personal rights as citizens of a free and democratic country. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, has stated publicly that there was some dissension in the Government caucus meeting over this incident, and I should think there would be. Until this matter is satisfactorily cleared up, no civil servant in this country can be sure that somebody is not poking and prying into his private papers to find something that might be used politically by the Labour Party. “ What organisation is there to do this snooping work, under what legal authority does it operate? ” Mr Holyoake asked. “These are questions that the Government should answer immediately. To my knowledge the Holmes case is unprecedented in the political history of New Zealand. It savours more of the methods employed in some dictatorship countries of Europe. “Unless and until the Government reveals the full story and gives such explanations and excuses as it can in support of Mr Nash’s actions, the people of New Zealand, and especially the civil servants, cannot but feel uneasy about the personal rights of citizents which we have hitherto taken for granted.”