ALLEGED THREAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 February 1939, Page 6

ALLEGED THREAT

BY AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL MINISTER TO BASH REPORTER'S HEAD AGAINST WALL. JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION TAKING ACTION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 12.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Allegations that the Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr H. V. C. Thorby) had threatened to “bash the head of a newspaper reporter against tne wall" will be investigated by the committee of the Australian Journalists’ Association. The matter was raised at a meeting of the association, when it was decided to call for a full report on the alleged incident. The “Sydney Morning Herald” says further restrictions on the asking of questions by Press representatives were imposed yesterday by Mr Thorby, who declared: “I do not intend to grant Press representatives the right to crossexamine me twice daily, and, according to the view of their papers, place their own construction upon my replies.” This statement was made in a typewritten answer to a question submitted in duplicate in accordance with the new procedure introduced by Mr Thorby yesterday. Two months ago, Mr Thorby, after the publication of violent statements made by him about Mr Curtin (Federal Opposition Leader), refused to grant any personal Press interviews in Sydney, but said questions in writing might be submitted to him.