INTERNAL CENSORSHIP OF MAIL

Southland Times, Issue 24533, 6 September 1941, Page 8

INTERNAL CENSORSHIP OF MAIL

QUESTIONS ASKED IN PARLIAMENT (Special) WELLINGTON. September 5. Questions about the censorship of internal mail were asked by Mr J. A. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn) during the discussion on the Estimates in the House of Representatives today. “Does the censor work as a member of the Post and Telegraph Department or on what basis?” he asked. “Are members of the department acting as censors? It has been suggested in the Press that postal officers are dipping into the mail and opening letters at random, not on suspicion.” An Opposition member: A bran tub. “It hardly seems reasonable that censorship should be required for inland mail,” said Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Nat, Riccarton). “What evidence has the Post Office got to indicate that it is necessary?” The Postmaster-General (the Hon. P. C. Webb) said that the censorship was controlled by the censor, who had the right by law to go in and make any necessary investigation of mail. “It may sometimes appear that the censorship of inland mail is unnecessary,” said Mr Webb, but if< members saw some of the information contained in some of the letters they would agree that it is justified ten times over. Mr W. J. Polson (Nat., Stratford): Criticism against the Government. The Minister: Criticism against the Government is so small that we don’t worry about it.

An Opposition member: Don’t you cut it out of letters overseas?