RADIO CHALLENGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 303, 23 December 1939, Page 11

RADIO CHALLENGE.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ASKED.

CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT.

' (By Telegraph.—-PresgAssoclatioii.) WEI4LINGTON, Friday.

"It would appear that Mr. Scrimgeour has 110 intention of according me even the courtesy of a curt acknowledgment to my acceptance of his challenge and tny subsequent letters.to him," said Mr. J. J. Maher in a statement to-day. "It would appear as weir that Mr. Scrimgeour's utterances have been made with the full approval of the Government, and I would therefore suggest the Government should now state whether or not it approves of the action of its spokesman in issuing challenges and then failing to face up to them. "It would appear, however, that Mr. •Scrimgeour is living up to the highest traditions of the Labour party, who have always been champions at evading the issue. "I feel, however, a« a humble working farmer, that I should warn the Government that, if it desires to preserve the respect of decent sections of the community, it should shape its conduct more in keeping with the standards of honour to which we have previously been used in New Zealand. If it permits violent, loose, inaccurate and irresponsible statements to be made by a Government offiqjal over the air, such conduct can result only in the Ministry coming to be held in contempt. "Further, how can we Xew Zealanders, who have hitherto been used to fair play, re-spect a Government which allows one side, and one side only, to be put over the air."