INCORRECT "NEWS"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 1, 26 September 1917, Page 4

INCORRECT "NEWS"

TALES ABOUT NEW ZEALAND. 3?rom time to time rather extraordinary "news" is published in newspapers in other parts of the Empire about \ T ew Zealand. One of the incidents, which, was scarcely the feature of the day[6 news here, "was an earthquake, and it was cabled abroad and apparently featured abroad as a very serious affair/with reference to damage anrt so on. Mr. Hornsby produced one of these cablegrams yesterday in the House of. Representatives, and'asked Mr. Massey to see that the Government exercised a censorship over such news. Mr. Witty also referred to a canard item of news.: It' was a report current in Australia that, there had been riote here, which Atistralian troops were used to quell—that machine-guns.Tvere turned on the crowd, and that fifty* Qucenelanders were tilled. The Prime Minister said he had done his best to contradict some of the stories. life' had had a cablegram from London about tho earthquakes, and had told, the High Commissioner what a small affair it was. He had had a cablegram from a mail hiirh up in public affairs in Australia, asking about the rumours ot riots here, and he hr.cl told that gentle'mari by reply telegram that there was perfect" industrial peace in this country, and no riots whatsoever. He said he .would do his best to prevent the continuance of the sending out of this incorrect news about New Zealand. . '