SHORT-WAVE BROADCASTING STATION

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22244, 8 November 1937, Page 5

SHORT-WAVE BROADCASTING STATION

TO THI EDITOB Or TM PRESS. Sir—lt is interesting to read in "The Press" this morning that the Government intends to consider the erection of a short-wave station costing £67,5M> and involving £II.OOO per annum o operate. It is to be hoped that this silly project is not proceeded with Who listens to short-wave stations? If this country and Australia are anything to judge by, it can be safely said that these stations are listened in verv rarely by owners of all-wave sets V an y d by small boys who nester the stations with useless reports in the hope of getting verification cards or stamps. The short-wave station, excellent as it is as a means of communication, has little or no entertainment value. , And where does the Government get the idea that it costs £67,500 to pu up a short-wave station? If it must go ahead with this fatuous idea, why not make a few investigations first.' If it is possible for amateur radio operators to build transmitters for £5 or so—these same transmitters being capable of regular communication with America and other countries— surely the Government can put up quite a pood station for a mere £IOOO. And why £II,OOO a year to run? Of course, there may be a controller to appoint at £ 1500 a year; there may be an army of "experts" to import, and so on. I feel sure, however, that if the job is left to half a dozen New Zealand experts to run. more than half of this £II,OOO can be saved. . It is, however, quite a foolish ana totallv unnecessary idea. Before the Government does such a thing, it ought to do something about keeping those election promises:—(l) Reduced taxation, elimination of unemployment taxation, (3) the reduction of exchange, (4) the elimination of sales taxation. (5) no increase in the cost of living. Apparently, the idea qf a short-wave station is to tell the world about New Zealand. As one who has listened to. and voted for. Labour, I feel that the less the world hears about New Zealand the better. I can take a jokebut the thought of the small boys of the world being solemnly told about our srevsers, gasworks, and Parliament, or lirtening to' that touching poem "Where's Mum?" is too much for me. —Yours, etc., LISTENER. November 4. 1937.