PRESS CENSORSHIP

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 264, 27 July 1918, Page 9

PRESS CENSORSHIP

STRINGENT REGULATIONS

TO SECURE PUBLIC SAFETY

The following additional regulations under the War Regulations Act", 191-1, wero issued as ;i Ga;:otto Extraordinary last liisllt :~

I, Theso regulations may lie cited as the Censorship Regulations.

L'. "When the Attorney-General is satisfied that the cxerciso oi' the authority hereby conferred upon him in advisable lor ilia purpose of securing the public safety during the present war, ho may givo or cause to be given to the proprietor, publisiier, editor, or printer of ony periodical nublieution a notice—

(a.) That no issue ot Unit publication is to bo published until it, has been subunited to censursnip under tnese regulations, and tile publication tfiereot lias been autaorised by a Censor; or

(b.) Tnut any matter or kind of matter specified in the notice is not io be published m any issue of that publication until tile matter so to bo published has been submitted to censorship under theso regulations, and the publication thereof lias been authorised by a Censor.

3. When the Attorney-General is satistied thai tlio exercise of the authority hereby conferred upon him is advisable for the purpose of securing tho public safety during the present war, he may give or cause to be given to the proprietor or manager of any printing-press a notice—

(a.) That no mntter is to bo printed on that printing-press until such matter has been siibmiC.ed to censorship under these regulations, and the publication thereof has been authorised l>y a Censor; or

(b.) That any matter or kind of matter specified in the notice is not to be printed on timt printing-press until the matter so to be printed has been submitted to censorship under theso regulations, and the publication thereof has been authorised by a Censor.

i. Every notice given under tho preceding regulations shall remain in force until revoked by the Attorney-General.

5. (1.) Tho Attorney-General may appoint such persons as ho thinks fit nfl Censors for tho purpose of these regulations, and may at any time cancel any such appointment. (2.) All matter submitted lor censorship under, these regulations shall be examined by a Censor so annointed, who if satisfied that its nublication is not prejudicial to the j.ublic safoty shall approve tho same for publication, but if not so satisfied shall refuse such approval.

G. Except where other .provision is made in that behalf by any such notico as aforesaid, all matter required by any such notice to be submitted to censorship shall for that purpose ho ted to the Chief of the General Staff of the Dofchcfl Forces at Wellington. 7. If any issuo of a periodical publication which is required to be submitted to censorship under these regulations is published without being so submitted or without tho approval of a Censor appointed under these regulations, or if any matter required to bo submitted to censorship under these regulations is published in any issue of a periodical publication without having been so submitted or without the approval of a Censor so appointed, tho publisher, editor, and printer of that publication, and every person knowingly concerned in the publishing of such issue, shall be severally guilty of an olfcnco ugaiust these regulations, and shall bo linblo under tho War Regulations Act, 1911, accordingly. 8. (1) If any matter which is required to be submitted to censorship under theso regulations beforo being printed on any printing press is printed oh that press without having been so submitted, or without the approval of a Censor ippointcd under these regulations, tho printer and every person knowingly concerned in tho printing thereof shall bo severally guilty of an offence against theso regulations, and shall bo liablo under tho War Regulations Act, 1911. accordingly. (2.) Tho printing of a proof for revision or for submission to censorship shall not be an offence against theso regulations.

!).' (1.) For the purposes of these regulations a periodical publication shall be deemed to be identical with any periodical publication which is published in succession (hereto or in substitution therefor, and which has the same proprietor, publisher, editor, or printer, and every notico given under these regulations in respect of the former publication shall continuo ill force with respect; to any such suceecdiug or substituted publication. (2.) for tho purposes of theso regulations a printing-press shall bo deemed to preserve its identity notwithstanding any changc of name or othonvisc, if the proprietor, manager, premises, or plant remains the same; and every notico givon 11111101" these regulations shall remain in forco accordingly.

10 For tho purposes of theso regulations every issue of a periodical publication shall bo deemed to include as part thereof every document which is printed or published for sale or distribution along with copies of that publication. 11. Jivery person who commits an offeneo against the Printers and Newspapers' Registration Act, 11I0S, slwll also be guilty of an offeneo against these regulations, and shall be liable under tho War Regulations Act, 1911, accordingly. 12. livery notice authorised by theso regulations lo be given to the proprietor, publisher, editor, or printer of a periodical publication or to tho proprietor or manager of a printing-press may (without excluding any other mode of delivery) be given bv leaving tho sumo on Ilia premises at which the periodical publication is published, printed, or managed, or on the premises on which tho printing-press .is situated, as the case may lie, iirnl may be addressed to such proprietor, publisher, editor, printer, or manager by description as such, and without naming him. 13. Tho term "public safety" as used in these regulations shall be deemed to in-, cludo (without in any matter limiting tho scope of the term) tho elfectivo conduct. of the military or naval operations His Majesty during the present war, and also the maintenance of industries essential for the public welfare, and also the prevention of seditious utterances as deliued by (he. War Regulations of December 1918.

If. (1.) Claufo 2 if the regulations made under the War Regulations Act, mil, on October 11, 1915, aud lelatilig io prohibited publications, is hereby amended by revoking paragraph (d) thereof and' by adding to that clause the following paragraphs:--" (e.) No person shall print a prohibited publication. (I.) No person shall deliver a prohibited publication-ti) any other person, or have in his possession a prohibited publication (or the purpose ot such delivery, (g.) No act done in good faith by an oOicer of police or other servant; of the Crown in the execution of his office shall constitute ail offeneo against this regulation, (h.) Every abridgment or extract from or abstract of a prohibited publication shall be itself a prohibited publication, (i.) Every periodical publication which is published in succession to or in substitution for a prohibited periodical publication, and which has 'llic same proprietor, publisher, editor, or printer, shall be itself a prohibited publication." (2) Clause 2 of the aforesaid regulations of Octobcr 11, 1915, as amended by these present regulations, shall apply to all prohibited publications, whether the sale thereof has been prohibited before or after the making of these present regulations.

15. (1) Save in a newspaper duly registered under the Vrinters uml Newspapers' Registration Act, 190S, no person shall print any matter relating to or referring to the present war unless such matter lias been submitted to censorship, and approved for publication by a Censor appointed under these regulations. (2) No person shall iln any act villi intent to procure the printing elsewhere than in New Zealand, but I'or sale, miblicalion, or distribution in New Zealand, of tiny matter relating or referring to the present war, unless such matter has been submitted to censorship, and approved for publication by a Censor appointed under these regulations. (II) The printing of a proof for revision or for submission to eori.-orship shall not bo an ollence agninst this regulation. (J) No person shall sell or distribute, or have in his possession for sale or distribution, any printed matter which has been printed or tho printing of which has been procured in breach of this regulation. (5) For tho purposes of this regulation printing ehall bo deemed to in-

cludo all mechanical methods of multiplying a document. 16. No person shall print or public in any periodical publication, t in any other printed document:—(a.) Any matter or 6to cement which iu any maimer indicates, or may bo reasonably suppose.) to indicate, the existence in that dooment ot any omission, alteration, or addition due to the exerciso of t lio powers of censorship conferred by those regulations; or (b.) any statement or indication that any matter or kind of matter 1-i's been required to be submitted to censorship under these regulations, or that a Conso" has refused his authority tor the printing or publication of any matter or kind of matter.