WAR CORRESPONDENT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1163, 2 November 1917, Page 6

WAR CORRESPONDENT.

» SOME CRITICAL REMARKS. [from Our Own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, October 31. The appearance of an item of £I6OO on the Supplementary Estimates, for salary, expenses, and allowances for the official war correspondent, evoked a discussion in the House this afternoon. Mr Fletcher led the attack by moving a reduction of the amount as an indication that Mr Malcolm Ross should be recalled. He said it was about time the House "put its foot down." The Prime Minister said that when in England he asked General Richardson to get an opinion of outgenerals on the matter. General Richardson expressed himself as personally in favour of retaining Mr Ross. He read letters from Generals Russell and Godley, both expressing the decided opinion that New Zealand would be the loser if Mr Ross's services were dispensed with. He also read articles appearing from Mr Ross in English newspapers, and expressed the opinion that Mr Ross was doing valuable work in advertising New Zealand, through his war articles. He was receiving £450 a year in salary, and £2 10/- a day travelling expenses. Mr Witty said that if anybody advertised New Zealand it was our soldiers, not Mr Ross, who should never have been sent. News seemed to come from the correspondent a month late. Mr Massey explained that the cost of cabling was so heavy that last year the Government cut it down by over £IOO,OOO per annum. If NewZealand had no war correspondent our soldiers would have no chance of gelling much notice in the English press. Me Wilford said that old war correspondents' naturally got better chances with the high command. Without a "pull" such as this, one could not exoect to score heavily. He thought that Mr Ross's accounts from Gallipoli were absurd, but better stuff came from him in France. Mr Ross would be of great value in supolying a connected account after the war of the doings of tho New Zealanders. Mr McCallum declared that the correspondent's accounts were not worth the money, and he ought to get a snell. Mr Isitt supported the view taken by Mr Wilford. Suggestions had been made which were utterly unworthy, showing smallness of mind. The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes contested the view that Mr Ross deoended on other correspondents for news. The amendment was rejected by 33 voles to 13.