NEW CENSORSHIP

Taranaki Daily News, 18 June 1921, Page 5

NEW CENSORSHIP

LABOR MEMBERS PROTEST. CABINET’S POWER QUESTIONED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. Messrs. Sullivan, Howard and McCombs, M.P.’s, have sent the following telegram to Sir Francis Bell (ActingPremier) : “As members of Parliament we wish to protest most emphatically against the action of the Government in usurping the law-making functions of Parliament. Ministers are not above the law and it is not within the right of Cabinet to issue orders censoring the transmission of news beyond the Dominion. With Mr. Massey in London boasting about our prosperity and tolling the people about the record surplus of £6,060,000 and that we have millions more as reserves it would be awkward for a cable message to be transmitted from New Zealand stating on the authority of the Finance Minister that there is an empty Treasury, but the right way to avoid contradictions is to tell the truth. Our point, however, is that we, as members of Parliament, are the law-makers and have made no law permitting this censorship. Cabinet has no authority to censor Press news and cannot obtain authority except from Parliament, including ourselves.”