HOLDING BACK LETTERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1066, 12 July 1917, Page 11

HOLDING BACK LETTERS.

THE AUCKLAND ALLEGATION. SIR JOSEPH WARD MAKING INQUIRIES. [From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 12. The allegations made by the Rev. Howard Elliott at Auckland regarding corruption in the Post Office (reported on page 2) have not gone unnoticed by the Postmaster-General. Sir Joseph Ward told your representative to-day that as soon as he saw the matter reported in this morning's papers he had asked for a full statement from Auckland, and as soon as he got the facts he would make the matter clear in the House. He could not conceive that postal officers would so far violate their oaths as to deliberately hold back correspondence. The matter would be probed to the bottom so that the whole truth would come out. If necessary, he would not hesitate to act. AN EMPHATIC DENIAL. REPLY BY AUCKLAND POSTMASTER. /*;•(•*.» Association. AUCKLAND, July 12. The charge made by the Rev. Howard Elliott that circulars convening the Protestant Political Association meeting were tampered with in passing through the post office is given an emphatic denial by the postal authorities. The chief postmaster says the charge of envelopes being opened, contents abstracted, and empty covers <lelivered is so absurd as to carry its own denial. Such action would simply invite inquiry. The Rev. Mr Elliott telephoned the postal authorities before the meeting on the subject, and was informed that a secret inquiry would be made immediately if a list of addresses was submitted. The list was not supplied, though a second request was made. Such inquiry as was possible otherwise had been made and showed that under the impartial postal system such allegations were ullerly unfounded. The submission of postal packets to the censor appointed by IDs* military authorities is one entirely out of (he control of the post ! office.