POSTAL CENSORSHIP INQUIRY

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1917, Page 8

POSTAL CENSORSHIP INQUIRY

THE CENSORSHIP. By Telegraph—Press Association Auckland, August M. At the postal inquiry, Williamson, on i •■' - cross-examined, said the Auckland wais .Mr. Cloustoii. who was for- !.. -elisor in the. south. Witness had no control over him, and had no knowledge of his methods or the instructions he received. Alter the luncheon'adjournment Mr. Bishop said he had reconsidered the point, and now admitted that Mr. Ostler was entitled to put the question. Mr. Ostler, to Williamson: Are you aware of any censorship having been established over any correspondence addressed, to the Catholic organisation? Mr. Gray submitted that according to the wording of the Commission the question could not bo put. He said it was entirely irrelevant. Mr. Bishop said he foresaw the present difficulty when first the Commission Came to hand, but the question could not interfere with {lie interests of the Empire. . Mr. (jstler,""to wit'ness: Is the correspondence of any Catholic organisation censored in Auckland?

Witness: There is a Catholic organisa- I tion in New Zealand whose correspon- I dence is censored in Auckland. Mr. Ostler: It any Roman Catholic periodical or literature emanating from the Catholic Church censored in Auckland? No! Is the-Tablet censored? No! Is Green Ray censored? No. Mr. Bishop said he had received a communication from the Chancellor of the Catholic dioacse of Auckland stating that Green Piay was not a Roman Catholic publication. Mv. Ostler produced a copy and stated that no one could read it without realising it was absolutely in favor of the Church of Rome. Mr. Ostler: Do you know whether any censorship has been applied to the correspondence of any Catholic official iu Auckland?—' Yes. Was this a Catholic priest?— Yes. Was he an alien enemy? -« fuse to answer that question.