COMMENT OVER AIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 219, 16 September 1938, Page 3

COMMENT OVER AIR.

ACTIONS OF CONTROLLER. PROFESSOR ALGIES COMMENT, (From Our Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. When r-peaking to an audience in the Ixadiant Hall this afternoon. Professor K. M. Algie criticised the method of appointment of Mr. C. G. Scrim-eour ae Controller of the Commercial Broadcasting Service and his action in using the £3 stations to reply to persons who had "annoyed, irritated and goaded" him. ° "We went people whose judgment on moral questions will command the reepect of the community." said Profeeeor Algie. "In that connection I want to refer in passing to the ZB service. Please understand that I am not dealing with Mr. Scrimgeour except from one aspect. He was irritated, annoyed end goaded l i.v some criticism, and replied -to it by iwinjr the ZB station*. I. will concede i that if a person m goaded ami iiritated he will want to reply, but the real questi.in is not whether he was annowd "f whether he wa* provoked. Tt iw "the method he chose to do whot he thought he was entitled to. Tt was a case of a public servant iiritated beyond measure by some outside criticism" making use of the public property of this Dominion in order to protect himself, ami the Prime Minister says that is right." A Woman: Hear. hear. "Why did not th<? Xntional party leave him alone?" asked another woman Professor Algie: What I want to know is this—if a public servant is goaded or attacked has he any right to use the public property qf the' Dominion in defending himself? The "noes" overwhelmed the "ayes." Replying to yupportere of Mr. Scrimgeour's action. Professor Algie said that if they applied their endorsement logically they would get to the position that if he insulted the Postmaster-General— "Who jammed 1ZB?" nsked a woman. Professor Algie: I think the Hon. Adam Hamilton said he was responsible for it. A Woman: He denied it. though. Professor Algie: He admitted it like the true gentleman he is (applause). If the Postmaster-General felt it necessary to defend himself, according to two of my friend*, he would be perfectly, entitled to use the postal service to deliver circulars disseminating an attack on me." said Professor Alsie. "and if he acted in his capacity of Minister of Defence he could call out the machine-guns" (laughter).