THE WEEK IN THE HOUSE Storms before calm

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33462, 18 February 1974, Page 2

THE WEEK IN THE HOUSE Storms before calm

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CEDRIC MENTIPLAY)

The first working week of the 1971 session brought touches of acrimony connled with vio'ent exchanges which would suggest that this will be a stormy session.; charged that waterside leal »rs wen “ n cahoo»s” with ’•h- Minister of Transport '•V-r Basil ’Arthur) -md marl" iinsin tati n« about the health 'of the Prim* Minister (Mr Kirk), while Government Most of this sound and, urv signified nothing, how-; ever. The Arfdnrs-fn-Reply debate. a formality with ’ '■fitch some senior members believe the H >" c e could well rtfetnen-'e. monopo’lsed 'he speaking time The Ordei Patter remained untouched, and even the usual Question-'arid-answer due) was mini-! The House fired up briefls on Thursday, when the Labour Committee nmoried the ! Agricultural Workers' Amendment BUI back to the House as ready to proceed with amendments The Opp<> sition tried hard to have the bill referred back to the comimittee. but the two divisions! ailed mere 1 v demon st rated I Government strength In the coming week the orvgmnime will be much the same The A<ldress-in-Rei>l' debate will dominate the; House, though there will be some time on Wednesday t<?‘ •dismiss notices >f motion Mr R P B. Drayton (Lab St Albans) contributed i' , fighter touch when he de-1 voted some of his speech to: ‘the dreadful assaults on the !

magnificence of the English language” m radio and television advertising. "An analysis of television ard radio advertising produces some interesting examples," Mr - Drayton said “Take the detergent or coffee that is ‘totally better.' Just what does ‘totally better’ mean 7 Then there is the washinc powder that washes ‘whiter than white.’ as if some new. pure, virginal whi'e had been discovered "We had a ‘facial quality’ tissue to describe a product ■vfiich is certainly not made for use on faces. Then there ire ‘rinses’ and ‘tints’ for ’omen who might otherwise be disturbed that their !friends might suggest that they dved their hair. ‘‘ln the cosmetics field the

i promotion of deodorants is !sensitive, a”d leads to extreme euphemisms. In the 1 radio and television advertising about deodorants people jnever sweat or smell — they 'only ‘offend.’ In the money I business we hear such ex- ; pressions as convenient terms I— meaning, of course, up to 1 18 per cent annua) interest I rates, payable at the convenience of the creditor 1 "To me, this sort of advertising is really telling it like lit isn’t, which really does nothing more than fool half the 'people none of the time. I I believe New Zealanders are I much more intelligent than the Madison Avenue boys would believe, and 1 would hope to see some improvement in radio and television advertising.”