SIR TRUBY KING

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 78, 29 September 1930, Page 11

SIR TRUBY KING

HIS DOINGS ABROAD

A VISIT TO HOLLAND

(From -'The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 21&t Augtot.

Sir F. Truby King, who 'has been over for two months, is /leaving to join the Ormonde to-dayi : He will remain in Sydney for a-few weeks, and will then go back to. New Zealand 'for the express purpose of-:' atteiitling; the Biennial Coniference '<>f'. the Plunket Sov-ety, which' is' to'tafe- 3^ace in November. ■ / ' .

"Finding it absolutely necessary, to remain .in .Sydney, longer, than I expected, ",said Sir Truby.King, explaining his visit to this country, "the only way I could catch the Orsova, by;which. I had taken my passage, was by'flying from Adelaide to FreinantJe. This fact gave me vicariously . an amazing welcome. When r.came; to.give my address at the Child Welfare" Conference _in London; Sir Arthur Stanley was chair-rrr-n. He had, asked mo' in the fow n:'.J'.utes before my' speech how I had readied Home 'in. time.-Sir Arthur, 'in introducing me, said that the "delegates would be interested to hear that I had risked my life to attend the confe'renee. I must have been flying/across Australia from, east to' west at; the same time as. Amy 'Johnson' was flying across Northern: Australia- from west • to' east. He thought the least the audience.could do was to .give me the. same.'.kind1 of welcome as, Australia had..'given.; Amy Johnson."; : ■■' . / . .'.'..-:'- ' - ■■'■"■■'

Sir Truby has beeii .aliuo'st. wholly concerned, witli :the business. .• of the^ Karitane Products SoeietyJ- Ho has found time, however,,:.for a-, short visit to' Holland. ". ■' ■. ~, .-. -. / ... ~

''Holland," he..said,;' <(is. a*;interesting as over to us in New; Zealand and 'Australia,. -as ; it is: to. people' in this countrj", on account .of their .rate of maternal,mortality, theiv death-rate of infants in the .first, month of life being still- only, about lialf' of' ours,- while our death-rate for the. rest of the first year. is less than half of Holland. As I have always, insisted, and ;as it appears to.me to be> insuffieieutly ■ recognised, the facts and figures.prove .conclusively and irrefutably that looking,on mother and child as one and, indivisablc before birth, at birth, and for! at least a'month after -birth, we have every reason to be dissatisfied with our high., maternal death-rate and bur high infantile.'deaths fate in.the first, month. . Mother and child stand and fair together, and 'our duty is to do our-best to prevent either failing or falling at the" most nwnieiitous crisis of life," ■"■ ' j

During - his- stay, in England, Sir Truby King has carried on' his campaign for tlie ■ use of sugar-bf-milk in the artificial, feeding--of- infants, and, at the. Child Welfare., ConfereiKCj be came, into.. violent opposition with a medical man who,considered cane sugar just as good. Sir Truby has had. 10,000 of his pamplets on.'.'Tlie-Karitane Products Society".printed.in London, and has already distributed 1000 of these among the medical profession.

.BROADCASTING-

QUJiISTIONS IN THE HOUSE

In the House of Representatives today Mr. E. Semple (Labour, AVcllingtoir East) moved for a return showing: (1)A full detailed account showing actual cash paid into thp Radio Broadcasting Company's, banking account, as. .share1 money; with, the name of each shareholder; and number of shares subscribed for in his name; and kmount' of call money paid to" datp, ill respect- of each shareholder.' ;(2) The1 nu'nibei'. of shares originally purchased1 by1, firstly, Mr. -William . Gqbdfellbiy; secondly Mr. A. E. Harris, and the amount of cash paid into the -company by these two gontlemen. ■■•• (3) •' Whether the £15,000 loanod by the Government lias been refunded.; (4) Actual gross-profit made by the Broadcasting- Company 'at the end of each year;' r : (5)-The •actual amount- written oS :stock-and-plant by the company each year, i (6); The actual amounjif shown on the company's returns g's net profit,at the end of each year's working of the company. ' (7) The amount paid to the . company by the P. and T. Department'eacli year as having been received- by. way of fees, firstly, from listeners; secondly, radio dealers. - ■:"- .'. """'.; '" '"• ;^ ;' ■ Mr. Semple also gave notice to ask the Postmaster-General the following questions:— . . , ;

, (a) Does the Postmaster-General control broadcasting; or has that work been delegated over to the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department?

(b) Have'-the : ■ Government, officials, under whose Departments broadcasting is operated,, recommended■.-.■ that-.: the. transmission 'side '• of the, broadcasting service be,taken over "by :tho .Post and Telegraph 'Department.V" If; so, when does the Government expect, to so take over the transmission,'."; aiid has any definite co'mpenaation'.'br. purchase/price been arranged- with - the f.Broadeasting Company for the taking' over of. stock ?and plant "belonging to the'company? ..':. (c) If the;Government.has;. decided to acquire the company V interest' _in broadcasting; does .tho' Government intend to call.for tenders for the supplying of programmes as was done in Australia? "•' ' ' ..' ","' . ; -•• '•' . V

. (a) "Will the Poßtmastor-Gcneral.ox-crcise his powers as Minister^in.Charge of'the. Post and Telegraph aiidsee that .the public havo'the right to acquire shares iiV'the BroadcastiiigCompany, if they so -desired-*-""(•Note:- Sofar as we know, tho company-has .not "offered the general public - any; shares/ and none can be- obtained by. the public, notwithstanding the1 fact, that; broach casting is a public utility arid the eonipany virtually has its. grip. on broadcasting, thereby' making .broadcasting, a monopoly.) ... .'..''".')".', ..}....

(c) Will the Postmnstcr-General lay on the table of this House the existing agreement between the Government and the Broadcasting Company; also the articles of association registered by the company?

(f) Will the Po'stniastpr-Gpnerar instruct tho Secretary'7 of tW;,Ppst and Telegraph Depai-tment that in future no relays by .'the Kadio. Broadcasting Company will be permitted that savour of.publicity? . . •. .^