SERIOUS CHARGES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3135, 13 July 1917, Page 6

SERIOUS CHARGES

AGAINST AUCKLAND POST

QUESTION IN THE HOUSE

FULL INQUIRY PROMISED

The charges made against the Auckland Post Office by tho !Kev. Howard -Mhott • were brought under tho notice of tho Postmaster-Goucral (.Sir Joseph Waid) in the Houso yesterday. Mr. Elliott alleged that certain circular letters or other correspondence relating to the Protestant Political Association had br>en dejayed in transit, and that some of tho letters had been opened and the contents abstracted before tho envelope.-! were delivered.

Mr. Witty asked the PostmasterGeneral whether ho had seen the state-

ments mndo by Mr. Elliott. Sir Joseph Ward: I have read the statement which the honourable gentleman has just read to the House, and I have asked for a report concerning it. As a matter of fact I asked for a report about it as soon as I read it. If the statements were true, then what the honourable gentleman says would be correct. But the statements are not true. I wish to read the report of the Secretary of tho Department, and from his statement it will appear that the Rev. Air. Elliott has withheld .some of the information which would enable a full inquiry to bo made. It will bo made all fh'o same.

Sir Joseph Ward read the following report from the Secretary of the Post Office:-.

The charge by Jlr. Elliott is given emphatic denial by the postal authorities. The charge of envelopes being delivered without contents is so absurd as to carry its own denial. No officer .of tho Post Office, even the veriest youth, would be so stupid as to abstract contents of a communication and deliver the envelope. Such action would simply invite 'inquiry— the very thing a culprit would wish to avoid—and provide evidence of guilt. The.Kev. Mr. Elliott rang up the postal authorities prior to the meeting in relation to the charge, and was informed that strict inquiry would be made immediately a. list of addresses was submitted. The list not being forthcoming, a second request was made, and a list was faithfully promised by a certain hour. The time passed, and no list was submitted. Mr. Elliott has therefore cut the ground from under his own feet l>y apparently withholding the means by which proper inquiry could be made. The submission of postal packets to censors appointed by the military authorities, is one entirely ontside tho control of the Post Office; but in this particular instance it cannot be said to have resulted in the delay complained of by Mr. Elliott.

Sir Joseph Ward added: I have sinco been informed that the packets vera handed to tho censor about 11 a.m. on Saturday. This matter will be fully investigated, because it is apparent'that there is on underlying motive in connection with what has been given to tho Press of this country. The experience of most people in this country, whatever their politics or their creed may be is that everywhere the Post Office discharges its duties faithfully and well.' I have never known of an instance of an attempt being made in the Post Office to delay postal matter for any. Teason. As a rule complaints about letters come from people who very seldom post them or receive them. I am not saying that this is so in the present case, because we have not ,the complete facts. But to suggest that employees would of their own volition attempt to interfere 'with, the correspondence of anyone, whatever his views might be, is absurd, because a man would be immediately dismissed for anything of tho sort. When wo get the result of the inquiry I shall ask Cabinet to authorise tho Law Officers of the Crown to take proceedings smd so slop this early attempt to discredit a, great State Department.

Mr. J. S. Dickson, member for Parncll, asked the Minister to make inquiries also about the non-<!elivery of letters to box 012, G.P.0., Auckland. He had complaints that letters were not beins delivered as they should be to this l>ox. Sir Joseph Ward suggested that tlio. person who made complaints should make fhem in venting to the Chief Postmaster at Auckland. This would be a more regular method. In any case the matter would be thoroughly investigated. Jlr. Dickson .said that complaints had been made to the Post Office, and the reply was that it was due to the censor. Sir Joseph Ward said that the Post Office was not responsible for what the censor did. The Post Office had a duty to obey certain instructions given by the censor on occasion. He did not know ■whether there ivae any reason for special vigilance over box , 912.

UTTERLY UNFOUNDED

.STATEMENT BY POSTMASTER AT AUCKLAND. By Telegraph-Press Association.

m, , Auckland, July 12. The charge made by the Eev. Howard JMliott that circulars convening a Protestant Political Association nieetin" were tampered with in passing through the Post Office delivery is given an emphatic 'denial by the postal authorities, ihe Chief Postmaster says ' that the charge of envelopes being opened, the contents abstracted, and the empty covers delivered is so absurd as to carry its own denial. Such action would siinnlv invite inquiry. Mr. Elliott telephoned to the postal authorities before the meeting on the subject, and was informed that the strictest inquiry would lie inado immediately a list of addresses was submitted. The list was not supplied, though a second request was made. Such inquiry as- was possible, otherwise was made, and showed (hut under the impartial postal system such allegations were utterly .unfounded. The submission of postal packets to the censor appointed by the military authorities is one entirely out of the control of the Post Of-