CENSORING CABLES.

Te Puke Times, 21 June 1921, Page 3

CENSORING CABLES.

PROTEST BY LABOUR MEMBERS. Christchurch, June 18. Messrs D. G. Sullivan. E. J. Howard, and J. McCombs, M.’s.P., have sent the following telegram to the Hpn. SirF. H. D. Bell (Acting Prinae Minister) " As members of Parliament we wish to protest most emphatically against the action of the Government in usurping the law-making functions of Parliament. Ministers are not above Parliament, and are not above the law, and it is not within the right of Cabinet to issue orders censoring the transmission of news beyond the Dominion. With Mr Massey in London boasting about our prosperity and telling people about the record surplus of £6,000,000, and that we have millions more as reserves, it would be awkward for a cable message to be transmitted from New Zealand stating on the authority of the Finance Minister that there ;is an empty treasury, but the right way to avoid contradiction is to tell th e truth. Our point, however, is that we, members of Parliament, are lawmakers, and have made no law permitting this censorship. The Cabinet has no authority to censor press news and cannot obtain authority except from Parliament including ourselves.