GOVERNMENT AND BROADCASTING

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22201, 18 September 1937, Page 16

GOVERNMENT AND BROADCASTING

CHARGE OF UNSEEMLY HASTE ADVERTISING RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA CRITICISM BY MU KYLE [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON. September 17. A good deal of prominence was given by Opposition speakers during the Address-in-Reply debate In [he House of Representatives to-day to the Government's handling of broadcasting. One speaker mentioned arrangements made for the sale of advertising rights in Australia, and charged the Government with unseemly haste. The failure of the Labour Party to keep its promise to protect B stations was referred to by Mr W. P. Endean (National, Parnell). He said that the Government obtained many votes at the last election by its promise to listeners. When the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) was in the south recently he was asked to consent to a board being set up, but his reply was that it would be too cumbersome. "This dictatorship attitude of the Government exists in every phase of activity,” said Mr Endean. “It is crushing out the spirit of the people, and we are supposed to be Britons who never will be slaves. We arc rapidly becoming slaves because of the tyranny of this brand of Socialism that has obtained control of New Zealand, and which some day will i develop into Communism.” Mr Endean said that before it was; elected the Labour Party had an ar-1 rangement under which Mr C. G. | Scrimgeour, “Uncle Scrim.” engaged i in politics over the air to assist it to i gain office. Since then an advertising department of radio had been established, and in his opinion a | thorough investigation was necessary , to find out all the facts. Why were not tenders called for advertising space! on the air? The Government had made j arrangements with unseemly haste, and j advertising rights for New Zealand, had been let In Australia. j Mr Endean said he would like to know what it cost the Government for motor-cars for performers who attended the Auckland studios. Broadcasting was discussed again later in the debate when Mr H. S. S. Kyle (National, Riccarton) criticised Mr A. F. Moncur (Government, Rotorua) for comparing the Governor of the Reserve Bank with the Director of Commercial Broadcasting. Mr Moncur: I compared only their shlaries "If I had been attacked by a newspaper in the way that a certain gentleman was a while ago, I think I would be seeing my lawyers,” Mr Kyle added. “He. however, has closed up like an oyster.” A „ . The Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry): What do you think is the difference between the Governor of the Reserve Bank and the Director of Commercial Broadcasting? Mr Kyle: One is acknowledged to be a gentleman throughout the world; you can read a certain newspaper to learn about the other. I think that if members of the Government told the people their honest opinion it would not be the same as they say on the public platform. The Governor of the Reserve Bank would not have been in it with the other man if the terms of his original appointment had beep retained. Mr C. L. Carr (Government, li-| maru): That was only for throe | months. , , I Mr Kyle: You would not have minded having his salary for three I months. The sky was the limit there.