DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 110, 5 November 1937, Page 8

DAY IN PARLIAMENT

MORE ABOUT BROADCASTING

Parliament ceased transmission temporarily on the Broadcasting Amendment Bill at 4.40 o'clock this morning, when the measure was talked through the Committee stages by an Opposition that simply refused to grow weary. Much argument was again heard on the question of the separation of the two sides of broadcasting and the appointment of the controller of the commercial side, and Opposition members insistently urged .that the Government should do something about clearing up certain allegations' that had been made. Early this morning, when yawning was developing in popularity, the Opposition sprang an amendment to give effect to its proposal that a Royal Commission should be appointed to investigate the whole question of broadcasting, but it went the way. of most Opposition amendments. Efforts were also made by the Opposition in Committee to change the method of control, and also to reduce the licence fees, but with similar success.

The chief speaker from the Government side was, the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), to whom the portfolio of broadcasting really belongs. He defended the Government's broadcasting policy in general, and the appointment of the controller of commercial stations in particular, and paid a tribute to the Director of Broadcasting (Professor J. Shelley). He also mentioned the possibility of a reduction in licence fees. By a curious circumstance, a fault developed in the broadcasting equipment just as the Prime Minister was speaking, and subsequent reference to it on the floor of the House drew from the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) an indignant denial of any suggestion that the Opposition knew anything about the occurrence.

It was almost broad daylight when the House rose to snatch a little sleep before toeing the mark again at 10.30 a.m. today.