SERIOUS ALLEGATION

Southland Times, Issue 22217, 9 January 1934, Page 5

SERIOUS ALLEGATION

CORRESPONDENCE TAMPERED WITH. (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, January 8. A suggestion that the correspondence of the New Zealand No More War Movement had been tampered with during transit, was made by a delegate, Mr L. A. Efford, at the annual conference of the movement which is being held in Christchurch. Mr Efford, who is secretary to the executive, said it was suspected that the correspondence of the movement had been opened in transit. Mr Clyde Carr, M.P., referred to recent legislation prohibiting persons from the circulation of statements derogatory to the Government. He asked how. it would be possible for the authorities to detect such statements unless by tampering with letters. He gave an instance of a letter despatched by . a Timaru resident to England describing the unemployed riots in New Zealand. The letter reached its destination, but the clippings were not in the envelope. In the discussion Mrs Page, another delegate, expressed the opinion that any such interference with letters was illegal. When the name of Mr N. M. Bell, chairman of the executive, was proposed for a committee to consider wartime organization for the movement, Mr Efford said that Mr Bell was already on the black list, along with others in Christchurch.