APOLOGY OFFERED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19821, 24 December 1938, Page 5

APOLOGY OFFERED

LABOUR RADIO

RETURN OF LICENSE UNTRUE STATEMENTS CRITICISM OF CABINET CLASH WITH OPPOSITION (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press As.sn.) (Reed. Dec. 24, 10 a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 24. It was announced last evening that the Federal Postmaster-Generai, Mr. A. Cameron, had agreed to the terms of an agreement for the restoration of the Labour radio station, 2KY, on the

The directors of 2KY at a special meeting agreed to the terms of the Postmaster-General, which involve an apology : by them for statements which they acknowledge to be untrue concerning recent Government actions, the dispute at Port Kembla over the loading of pig iron 'in ships for Japan and the clash ibetween the Federal Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr. H. V. V. Thorby, and the leader of the Federal Opposition, Mr. J. Curtin.

This apology is to be published isi the Labour official organ, the Daily News.

The station expects to resume mv mediately. Right of Free Speech

The Sydney Morning Herald in an editorial yesterday commenting on 'the banning of the station, stated that the Postmaster-General appeared to think he owed nobody an explanation of his unprecedented action. "Since the principle of free speech would seem to be involved, the fullest justification will be required by the public of the procedure which, unexplained, savours too much of a dictatorial censorship to be palatable to a freedom-loving community," continues 'the Herald. This autocratic method of administering a department may be suited to Mr. Cameron's temperament, but it is contrary to the ordinary amenities of intercourse between the Post Office and its clients. It is angering to the public and, pending a satisfactory explanation, must be damaging to the Government, which already has been shaken by Mr. Thorby's recent intolerant outburst. Freer Case Recalled "The Lwons administration was earlier embarrassed by Mr. Paterson's blundering handling of the Freer case. Mr. Thorby's errors and indiscretions did it further injury. "Now a third Country Party Minister's maladroit handling of a matter touching the freedom of speech has aroused a fresh storm.

"The tendency to clothe the heads of departments with arbitrary powers to legislate, adjudicate, and pass sentence without resort to the courts is one of the most vicious features of present-day political life. If it is not checked democracy will be narrowed down from precedent to precedent until bureaucracy ultimately is enthroned in its place."