AIM ELECTION PLEDGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 65, 14 September 1943, Page 7

AIM ELECTION PLEDGE

Messrs. G. L. Heckler and W. Home, of Ihuraua, have written to "The Post" stating that at an election address delivered at Alfredton last Thursday evening, Mr. J. Robertson (Labour, Masterton) was asked by Mr. Heckler, whether, in view of the fact that the Broadcasting Service had accumulated funds of about £1,300,000, the Labour Government, if returned, would be prepared to reduce the radio licence from 25s to 15s per year. Mr. Robertson answered that the sum mentioned was stupidly incorrect. He stated that the accumulated funds did not come to anything like the figure mentioned. He said he doubted if there was £100,000, or even £50,000, or even £25,000. He said he knew this because he was chairman of the accounts committee. He finally gave his solemn undertaking, and twice repeated it, that if there was anything like the figure quoted, he would "withdraw from the election contest right away." Messrs. Heckler and Home state that the official balance-sheet shows that at March 31, 1942, the accumulated fund of the National Broadcasting Service was £1,080,267. The annual report of the N.B.S. for the twelve months ending March 31, 1943, showed that the surplus of profit for that year was £374,361, which, added to the accumulated fund for the previous year, gave a total of £1,454,628. "We now, therefore, on behalf of ourselves and other electors to whom the pledge was publicly given, publicly call upon Mr. Robertson to announce his withdrawal from the election according to his pledge," state Messrs. Heckler and Home.