POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 21991, 29 March 1935, Page 16

POLITICAL POINTS

RADIO REGULATIONS REVOKED [From Odr Parliament aat Kepcrtzb.] WELLINGTON, March 28. “ May I ask the hon. gentleman if there is much more of it?” inquired Mr Speaker when the member for Wairau (Mr Hoaly) rqad to the House this afternoon a. very long question in four sections, with a postscript urging the claims of the South Island Main Trunk railway. Having given the assurance that he was nearly through, Mr Healy was permitted to table his whole question to the Minister of Works, in which he suggested that advantage be taken of the present low rate of interest, and the unemployed labour available, to complete the connecting link between Marlborough and Canterbury. The Government should, he suggested, ascertain from the Unemployment Board the amount of subsidy it would be prepared to pay nn labour for this work, and indicate in detail the savings in annual charges which are possible by utilising Diesel engines and other modern improvements. “ Grades and curves,” he concluded, “ have been laid out according to the most modern practice, and the line should be the safest and best in New Zealand for modern Diesel transport. • * « * It is not' the intention of the Postal Department to reduce the £1 10s , annual license fee paid by amateur radio transmitters. The suggestion was made by Mr Richards in tho House yesterday that a reduction should be made to "the same level as the new fee for listeners—£) os. In addition to his license fee, the amateur transmitter paid an examination fee of ss, and through the emergency corps gave valuable-service in the snvjng of time, expense, and sometimes of life. The corps was at the service of the Government and local- bodies, and a fabulous sum wag spent by clubs in the purchase of radio supplies. “ An amateur transmitter license,” replied the Postmaster-General, “ enables the holder not only to operate short-wave transmitting and, receiving equipment, but also to obtain reception, from the ordinary broadcasting stations, for which alone the fee is £1 5s a year. Moreover, amateur transmitting stations involve more inspection and supervision than do ordinary receivmg stations.'. While appreciating the valuable service, that may be given by amateur transmitters in times of emergency, still it is considered that the license fee pf £1 10s is not excessive.”

The Minister of Agriculture has undertaken to make searching inquiries into the widespread rumour current among farmers, to which his attention was called'by Mr Kyle in an urgent question in the House, that sacks which had contained certified rye-grass seed sold at 8s a bushel and branded accordingly, had been purchased at 2s 6d a sack, refilled with Australian seed, which is then being sold as certified Hawke’s Bay rye-grass. “This rumour has come under the notice of the officers of the department,” replied Mr Macmillan. “ Searching inquiries into the alleged misrepresentation are being carried out. It is as well, however, to point out that any buyer of certified rye-grass should bo amply protected by the fact that all certifiea seed is Government sealed.”

A number of changes are being made in the apportionment of the representation of contributary local bodies .on the various hospital boards throughout the dominion, and a new schedule is gazetted to-night. Where a borough or county secures additional representation, ii is intended that an election shall take place concurrently with the next ordinary general election of councillors at. present holding office until that date. The Waitaki hospital district will comprise Waitaki County and Hampden Borough combined, with five members of a the Oamaru Borough. The Otago district will have Dunedin City and West Harbour Borough combined, seven; St. Kilda Borough, Green.lsland Borough, and Peninsula County combined, one; Mosgiel Borough and Taieri County combined district, one; Tuapeka County, Lawrence Borough, Roxburgh Borough, Tapanui Borough combined, one; Waihemo County, Waikouaiti County, Waikouaiti Borough, Palmerston South Borough, Port Chalmers Borough combined district, one. member.

South Otago: Clutha County, five, Bruce, County,. three; Balclutba Borough, Milton Borough, Kaitangata, one member each.

Vincent district: Vincent County, seven members; Alexandra Borough, one; Cromwell Borough, one. Maniototo district: Maniototo County, seven members; Naseby Borough, one; Southland County, seven members. ,

Opposition, Independent, and Government; members swarmed into, and Hooded out the same lobby in the House to-night to support the provision in the Rural Mortgagors’ Final Adjustment Bill for the payment of compensation to mortgagors in the event of the sales of properties at the end of the budgetary period. The principle was endorsed by the sweeping margin ,of 61 votes to 5, the minority being composed of three Government members (Messrs Dpwnie Stewart, Burnett, and Harris) and- two Independents, (Messrs Wright and Voifch). The Bill, with its numerous amendments, was read a„ third timfe and passed. •. ’ , The challenger of the clause was Mr Harris, who contended that it was undesirable that the compensation should be paid hy the mortgagee; the charge should be one against the 'revenues of the Crown, , as it would not be fair to ask the mortgagee, who might be losing heavily himself, to meet it. Jn the opinion of Mr WTlHnson, the compensation really amounted to deferred wages, and did not conie from the mortgagee, but froin -the asset, and Mr Harris should have voted on the question in the caucus. Mr Harris: I was not in the caucus.

Mr Rushworfch. and other members claimed that the farmer who bad been receiving bare living expenses for a period of years was entitled to compensation for the assets he had maintained and improved. Compensation could be regarded aS deferred wages. A proposal by Mr Rnshworth that a clause to provide for payment to the mortgagor of an amount in lieu of deferred wages, instead of compensation, was lost on the voices, and the provit>,n was retained in the manner described. .

On the passing of the Broadcasting Bill the Postmaster-General has promptly repealed the regulations under which he controlled the nature of the radio programmes to be broadcasted. An Order in Council in to-night’s ‘ Gazette ’ revokes the regulation pub-' lished in 1.932 under which broadcasting stations were not to he used for the dissemination or propaganda of a controversial nature, but shall be restricted to matter of educative, informative. <r entertaining character, such as new's,

lectures, useful information, religious services, musical or elocutionary entertainment, and other items of general interest as may be approved by the Minister. The whole responsibility for the programmes is in future within the discretion of the Broadcasting Board. Another regulation repealed deals with advertising matter. It prohibited broadcasting stations from presenting advertising'unless specially authorised by the Minister, and with the revocation of this regulation a clause .in the amending Aet operates to completely exclude advertising from radio broadcasting.