HITCH IN PLANS TO CURB THE PRESS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 54, 26 November 1937, Page 4

HITCH IN PLANS TO CURB THE PRESS

Our Own Correspondent-*

Labour Unions Themselves Oppose Bill VALUE OF ANONYMITY

(From

WELLINGTON, This Day. It is reported here that the Government 's plan to bring down Iegislation requiring all political items published by the Press to be signed has met with Obstruction. The hitch in the Government 's plan is not due to any change of opiniom by the Administration itself, though that was never unanimous about tho move, nor to tho representations which the members of the Journalists' Unions have made to the Government! it is stated to be due purely to the attituda of Labour organisations. Acoording to this information, the main stand against the new Iegislation has been taken by the various unions, which feel that, if the regulatory Bill comes down, their members will lose a valuable means of drawing attentiou to grievances and of expressing opinions which is open to them only so long as they are able to preserve their anonymity. It is reported that one of the principal movers against the new iegislation is the New Zealand Federa* tion of Labour. Thus the position appears to be something resembling a deadlock. Certain members of the Government are still desirous of putting through the necessary Act, and powerful union influences declare that if this course is adopted it will result in harm to the position of the unions and their members. . At the moment it is believed that the Government does not know what it will do, and until a settlement is reached it is considered unlikely that there will be any further discussion of the measure or hint of intpntion to procoed with it. At present, it is stated, the' unions are completely opposed to any, regulation of Press material if it involves the disclosure of the names of the writers.