PRESS AND PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 98, 11 September 1912, Page 5

PRESS AND PARLIAMENT.

A NEW STANDING ORDER. By Cable—Press Association —Copyright. Sydney, September 10. The Governor lias approved the new standing order regarding the admission of the Press to Parliament. it is claimed that the new order still gives the Speaker a power of selection. There is keen interest as to whether lie will readmit the Telegraph representatives today. MUZZLING THE PRESS. THE NEWSPAPERS' RETORT. Sydney, September 10. The morning papers have leaders whieh take strong exception to Mr. Holman's statement that if the daily Press is out on a campaign to belittle Parliament then the Government will have to face the position, and will face it cheerfully. The Herald claims that the remark contains more than the suspicion of a threat. There is a great deal of pure blull and electioneering intrigue. All this Government is concerned with is, before everything, to muzzle the Press. When an appeal must be made to the country, to muzzle the Press is to hit the public, and is bound to result in substantial retaliation. The Telegraph says that Mr. Ilolman might have used a less unfortunate word than belittlement. What he probably means is that he is out against criticism of the Ministry. It appears that lie only differs from Mr. Willis in desiring to exercise the censorship, which Mr. Willis regarded as vested in himself. REPORTERS RE-ADMITTED. Received 10, 0.15 p.m. Sydney, Septemebr 10. The Speaker's gentries were withdrawn to-day, and the Telegraph reporters admitted to the press gallery. THE SPEAKER'S STATEMENT. Received 10, 11.10 p.m. Sydney, September 10. The Speaker's messenger 'handed a Telegraph representative the following statement: "When the Telegraph was excluded it came to my knowledge that the pressmen of the gallery had approached their employers with a view to tabooing Parliament and depriving their readers of Parliamentary news. In order that the public .should not be kept in ignorance I arranged for a daily issue of Hansard, but the press having continued to report proceedings the necessity of issuing Hansard broadcast was obviated and an expense that would have fallen upon myself avoided. I think there is cause for gratification at having directed attention to biased reports in the press, as the authority of the Speaker has been vindicated and the public, have been unpenaiised."