AN EMPHATIC DENIAL

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 95, 18 May 1938, Page 3

AN EMPHATIC DENIAL

MINISTER OF FINANCE AND THE PRESS. WELLINGTON, This day. Strong exception to remarks by the Minister of Finance, Hon. W. Nash, in his public address at Lower Hutt on Monday night, was taken at a meeting' of the literary' staff of the “Dominion” last night. Mr Nash stated “the staff of the ‘Dominion’ are instructed to write letters to the Editor condemning the Government. The meeting decided unanimously to forward the following' letter to the Minister: —• Hon. W. Nash, Minister of Finance: Sir, — At a meeting of the literary staff of the “Dominion” to-night strong exception was taken to the following statement made by you in the course of your public address at Lower Hutt on Monday:— “The staff of the “Dominion” are instructed to write letters to the Editor condemning the Government.” The allegation is absolutely untrue. No member of this staff has ever been instructed by the Editor or by the management to write letters to the Editor on any subject whatever, much less on polities. We take your remarks and their implications as an unwarranted reflection on the integrity of working' journalists. The meeting unanimously recorded an emphatic protest. Since we can only assume you were misinformed on a question of fact, we hope you will take early opportunity publicly' to withdraw your statement. As your remarks were made publicly, we, the undersigned, were instructed by the meeting to hand a copy of this letter ,to the Press. Yours faithfully, C. T. O. WATSON, S. GERARD, L. MOIR. For and on behalf of the literary staff of the “Dominion.” Wellington, May' 17th, 1938.