"COMPETITOR OF P. AND T."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 209, 4 September 1931, Page 9

"COMPETITOR OF P. AND T."

BROADCASTING IN FUTURE

MR. SAVAGE'S APPREHENSION.

(By Telegranu. — Parliamentary Keporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. On the ground that radio broadcasting would ultimately become a serious competitor of the" Post and Telegraph Department, Mr. M. J. Savage (Labour, Auckland West), in a speech in the House last night, strongly advocated that control of the service should be made part _and parcel of the Department's functions. Mr. Savage observed that when a broadcasting service was established in> New Zealand he had wondered why the Department had been used to assist a questionable form of private enterprise. If the Department were good enough to do the work necessary, such as issuing licenses, collecting fees and exercising some form of supervision, it should be good enough to take over control of the whole broadcasting service. Although at present broadcasting was not a serious competitor of the Department, the day was not far distant when it would be. It seemed curious that Parliament should allow broadcasting to be built up by a private company in the first place, advance it £15,000 for development, and now be asked to supply the funds to back the service. The proposals of the Government meant turning the system over to a semi-private corporation, and the probability was that when the value of it multiplied Parliament would be asked to raise more money to buy it back again. Mr. Savage was of the opinion that the time would come when there should be a receiving set in every home in New Zealand, particularly in farming ; and backblock districts. If people were to be expected to go into the backblocks and carve out homes for themselves and break in the country, they were entitled to take some of the privileges and benefits of civilisation with them.