“ONE-SIDED REPORTING”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 August 1938, Page 4

“ONE-SIDED REPORTING”

ALLEGED BY MEMBER FOR MASTERTON SOCIAL SECURITY INQUIRY (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. An allegation that never had there been such one-sided reporting as there was in the reporting of the proceedings of the Special Parliamentary Committee which investigated the Government’s social security proposals was made by Mr J. Robertson, member for Masterton, in the House of Representatives yesterday. It was quite evident, said Mr Robertson, that the people had been misled about the attitude of the medical men. Never had there been such one-sided reporting. The Rt Hon G. W. Forbes (Opposition, Hurunui): “Who do you accuse?” The Minister of Lands, the Hon F. Langstone: “The Press.” Mr Robertson said that the New Zealand branch of the British Medical A.ssociation placed a statement before the committee, and it was published in full. The medical witnesses were cross-examined on their own statement, but little or nothing of the cross-examination appeared in the daily Press. Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition, Riccarton): “That applied to every witqpss.” Mr Robertson: “That is why I say that never has there been such onesided reporting. I am glad the hon member for Riccarton endorses what I am saying. When statements submitted to the committee fell down under cross-examination, as they frequently did, not one word was handed out to the public to show that that was the case:

Mr . Kyle: “That’s not correct.” Mr Robertson: “We had one witness, Mr Mulholland, of the Farmers’ Union, who furnished a statement based on a misconception that retirement at 60 was compulsory. He was corrected during the cross-examination. Therefore all that part of his statement based on that misconception was valueless, but it went forth. The correction that appeared in the cross-examination was never given to the public. That is why I say the reporting of the proceedings was one-sided in the extreme.” The Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Adam Hamilton: “Wasn’t there an official record of the evidence?” Mr Robertson: “Yes, but I am referring to the Press reports. The public didn’t see the official record. Mr Hamilton: “The evidence has been tabled in the House.”