THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1907. OF PUBLIC CONCERN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8983, 18 November 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1907. OF PUBLIC CONCERN.

The Hon. Mr Sinclair, one of the legal members of the Legislative Council, has given notice to ask the Government whether it will introduce legislation next session to amend the law of libel and bring it into line with the English statute law. Possibly the Government will be then too busy thinking of the coining elections to do more legislating than is absolutely necessary. The final session of Parliament is usually an-eye-to-the-main chance one, and extraneous, though perhaps important, matters are allowed to stand over for a more convenient occasion. It is to be hoped, however, that the Government will undertake this work, because the antiquated libel law which governs the press in New Zealand fetters its actions and prevents it from becoming that power in the land for good which it might be. Much scoundrelism and many immoral or improper transactions, social, commercial, and political, which do not come within the four corners of the law are allowed to grow and fester in our midst because of the facilities which the-law gives for the institution of libel actions. A complainant may have no chance of obtaining a verdict, but he has the power to harrass and even to blackmail a newspaper, because the defence of an action involves great inconvenience and expense to the defendant. They do things better in England, where the press is as free and untrammelled as it need be; and abuse of its privileges is raro indeed. With like privileges in this dominion, much good would be done that now cannot be attempted, and little or no harm would be found to result by freeing rhc press from its present thraldom. We are pleased to learn that the AttorneyGeneral is sympathetic in the matter, and has promised to take the question into his earnest consideration. The subject is one which seriously concerns the whole people of the State.