POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21424, 16 March 1935, Page 12

POLITICAL NOTES

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.J WELLINGTON, March 15. Broadcasting Bill Passed The Broadcasting Amendment Bill passed its third reading in the House of Representatives to-day by 36 votes to 19. Opposition to the bill throughout the committee and third reading debates was mainly based on objections to the control of broadcasting by a board, and on the fear that the bill would be used to destroy B stations. The Post-master-General (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) assured the House, however, that the bill had not been brought down to kill B stations, and that the Government had every sympathy with private enterprise in broadcasting, within limits. The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) said to-night that the Rural Mortgagors Adjustment Bill would be brought down for its second reading when the House reassembled on Tuesday.

Broadcasting of News "Apparently the Government has had an arrangement with the newspaper world to prevent matter being broadcast before it appears in the papers," said Mr E. J. Howard (Lab., Christchurch South) during the debate on the Broadcasting Bill in the House of Representatives today. "For instance, the Morro Castle disaster was known in Christchurch long before it was described in the newspapers. Stations had picked up the story, but they were not allowed to broadcast one word of it. Again, Mr Ulm's signals were picked up all over the country, but the stations were not permitted to communicate them to anybody over the air. I think that restriction is altogether too tight, but the position will probably be no better under the new broadcasting board."

Funds for B Stations A protest against the provision forbidding B stations from appealing over the air for funds was made by Mr A. E. Ansel I (C., Chalmers) in the House of Representatives today. Mr Ansell said that when the time name round each year for the payment of radio licenses, listeners were reminded of the fact from the YA stations, and he thought B stations ought to be allowed similar opportunities of appealing for funds over the air. The PostmasterGeneral (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) said it was not one of the purposes of broadcasting to appeal for funds except, perhaps, in cases where it was done for charity. The Friendly Road, in Auckland, had been granted special permission to appeal for money over the air, but that money was subject to Government audit.

Leave of Absence Another 10 days' leave of absence on account of ill-health was granted to Mrs E. R. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton) by the House qf Representatives to-day. Mrs McCombs has been suffering from • influenza, but she is now recovering. She has not been in Wellington since the first week of the session. Mr H. T. Armstrong (Lab., Christchurch East), who has been ill in Auckland, has not been in the House this week, but he is expected to return at the week-end.

Galleries of the House "Is it a fact that certain of the galleries of this House have of late been locked again; the public?"' Mr C. Carr (Lab., Timaru) asked the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) in the House of Representatives to-day. "If so," he added, "will the Prime Minister inform the House on whose instructions and on what grounds this has been done."

Dunedin Loan The floating of a renewal loan of £151,000 by the Dunedin Drainage Board at 3|- per cent, for 29 years was referred to by Mr Walter Nash (Lab., Hutt) in the House of Representatives to-day. He gave notice to ask the Minister for Finance whether he would take steps to ensure that the Government and the Mortgage Corporation obtained stock or share capital at least on equal terms. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart: But that is Dunedin. A Raid in Te Aroha "Will the Minister for Justice make a full statement to the House to allay current public anxiety that the alleged sport of kings is being given sovereignty above the law, and that justice is not being impartially administered?" This question was asked by Mr A. J. Stallworthy (Ind., Eden) in the House of Representatives to-day, after referring to the events which followed a recent raid on an alleged gaming house at Te Aroha, when it was reported that 190 names had been recorded, and to the report that only two prosecutions were to be made. Visit to London Mr H. G. Dickie (C., Patea) will leave Wellington for London by the Tamaroa on March 28. Mr Dickie is one of the four New Zealand representatives to the conference of the Empire Parliamentary Association, which will open in London in July. He is proceeding to England in advance of the main party, mainly with a view to investigating privately the meat situation. He will return to New Zealand in September.