A MISUNDERSTANDING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 894, 13 August 1910, Page 4

A MISUNDERSTANDING.

MINISTERS AND NEWS. In an editorial on Wednesday, ttie Christchurch "Evening News" discussed' what is known-as the' Christchurch' police scandal. Its arfciclo opened as follows:—"The Attorney-General has made public through the medium of the' , newspaper he controls in ;Wellington the decision uf the Goveruinonl in regard to, Inspector Gillies. It would have been much more fittmghid the announcement been made iu Parliament, seeing that the matter was originallyventilated in the House, and concerned not only a member, but an- officer holding an important position in the public service." The "News" went ou to niako further hostile comment upon the point. . ■ A Dominion representative read the , above extract to Dr. Findlay last night.•: The Attorney-General pointed out, by way of comment, that he had given out the news to The Dominion and the "New Zealand Times," which ' printed it simultaneously. As. a matter of fact, he saidj the inquiry was a Departmental affair,' and it was'his practice, although strictly he was under no obligation to do so, to give out to tho public through the press such Depart; mental news ae required such publication. A member of " Parliament wae concerned in the incident, it was truo, but it still remained a purely Departmental matter. ~ '

Subsequent to'receiving Dr. Findlay's statement, we discovered how tho "News", had been misled into doing the Attorney-General an injustice—obviously unwittingly and in good faith. For, in the Press' Association message which it sent.south, the night agency of'the association* in this city, which is held by the "New Zealand Times," followed its usual practice of representing a general statement to the press as a special statement to tho "New Zealand Times." Hence arose , 'the ■■ misunderstanding that led to the'comments of the'"News." . ' ' ■ ■■ <* -';■-