THE B STATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 130, 3 June 1937, Page 6

THE B STATIONS.

Tt is difficult to fathom the object of Mrs. Freis' comments upon my broadcast from IZM on Sunday night. I was only one of eight or nine speakers from IZM on that occasion who. in protesting against Government action which would lead to the closing of the B stations, all used much the same language. I said nothing about Mr. Savage, and it is not quite reasonable to object to criticism of a step now beinsr taken by the Government under the leadership of Mr. Fraser because Mr. Savage is away. Mr.?.. Freis need not worry about Mr. Savage being away. He left the great majority of the Labour party behind him under the leadership of Mr. Fraser. and Mr. Fraser is quite capable of shouldering the responsibility for anything done by tbe Government while Mr. Savage is away. The object of the speakers broadcasting from IZM on that occasion was to show the vital importance to the community of keeping alive the independent B stations and not to have broadcasting over the air entirely subservient to the Government of the day, whatever political party that Government may represent. This was the policy put forward "by the Labour party at election time; it is still, I feel sure, the * policy of practically the whole of the members of the Labour party and of the rest of the community. Xo Government, Labour or other, can expect to get away with a step directly- contrary to* its declared policy and against the views of the whole country without raising a storm of protest from the people. E. C. OUTTE3L A deal of hot air is breathed, and ink spffled, nowadays about democracy, and events in oor own country are quoted to evidence its failure. Tt is therefore pertinent to ask, "Are we in New Zealand living under a democracy?" The events of the next few weeks can answer this question for all time. In a true democracy no Government or other earthly power can override the will of the people. Now it is definitely the will of the people that a certain liberal proportion of the country's radio stations shall be on the air, free, unfettered and beyond political or other control, except that which, by common consent, orders the decencies of society. Are we. then, to be faced with the spectacle of a portion of the elected representatives of the people overruling the wishes of the majority of the people by virtually extinguishing B stations, or by forcing those stations to accept such conditions as will leave theni anything but free? Is the next step to be the prolongation of Parliament from the promised three to five years, to put off the inevitable popular vote of no confidence which will follow? Is Xew Zealand going to take this action lying down? Are we already in spirit a repressed and servile race, ripe for a Fascist or Communist dictatorship? Or—are "we a democracv? AUSTEX GOSS.