N. Z. NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1933, Page 2

N. Z. NEWS

COMPLAINT OF CHARACTER.:, A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT., ; ; ALLEGED. " V WELLINGTON, January 5.; ; When the Nelson City Council .began an agitation last year to prevent news detrimental to New Zealand- from: being sent overseas, the letter upon which the Council acted was one, received from Dr S. A. Gibbs, of Nelson, who wrote from London, Dr Gibbs arrived back in New Zealand to-day with Mrs Gibbs. He explained wliat the trouble hud been. 1 : ’

“I didn’t want them to suggest a censorship,” he said, “but wotlld like to see that the forwarding of news from ..this 1 end is placed in the hands of responsible people, Although one knows that most goods news from a news point of view is what would generally be called bad hews, ll.think there is enough good news, such as the. increased gold production the increased gold export, and other.things which, if it were sent would correct the impression gained from the bad news only. ‘‘Every week you see something in some paper or other casting reflections on ': New Zealand,” Dr Gibbs said. ‘‘The last thing before we left was a reference to New Zealand youths not being able to qualify for Rhodes Scholarships. There was a headline across the paper, ‘No Youths in New Zealand Fit for Rhodes Scholarships.’ We have a splendid publicity department in the Higli Commissioner’s office with an experienced journalist in charge. AH that is required is some organisation at this end to supply him with the right kind of information so lie can get it published. If there is a suggestion of political influence the work could easily be done here by a committee on which the various Parties and interests were represented. ‘‘When you see how the people in the Old Country are putting up cheerfully with big sacrifices and the limitations of means that have occurred in the f last year or two, it makes you a hit regretful,” Dr Gibbs said, “that New Zealand should publish its woes so Widely, and that we should have the I reputation of being clothed in crejie. And while I mention that I might say that the way the British people are facing up to their present hardships forces one to take pride in the race to which one belongs. It is really marvellous.” Dr Gibbs and Mrs Gibbs went Home primarily to see the : r son in Edinburgh. They had been away for about ten months.