REPORTER REBUKED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 228, 23 June 1944, Page 4

REPORTER REBUKED

Minister’s Action During Hearing Of Deputation

(By Telegraph -Press Association.! GISBOR-N-E, June 22. When a reporter paused with pencil poised for a brief period, he suffered a. rebuke from the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Roberts, during the hearing of a deputation on egg marketing today. A speech by Mr, G. W. G. Begley explaining the local marketing position was interrupted by the Minister, who said that the reporter was not taking Mr. Begley’s remarks, which he considered important in view of what had been said by members of the deputation. Mr. Roberts said that he did not object to the Press being present at his gatherings so long as they treated matters for the good of the production effort and did not magnify irritating matters which would tend to disturb the national effort at such a time. Members of the deputation immediately protested against the criticism of the reporter, asserting that the Gisborne Press had a high reputation for fairness. The Minister said that if the paper supported the national interests, he stood corrected. Things were often said which would' only cause strife, but he had every desire for the Press to be present if the war effort should be made the first objective.