B STATIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 22195, 25 November 1935, Page 13

B STATIONS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I have been given a leaflet issued by the New Zealand Federation of B Stations, in which the federation requests that its supporters should vote for Labour at the poll on Wednesday. My first thought was that the B station question was scarcely important enough to cast one’s vote in favour of a party which has been rather wild in some of its election talk. But on deliberating and after studying the position as stated in the booklets, ‘ The Scandal of Broadcasting ’ and ‘ More Scandal,’ I began to wonder if a Government which makes a habit of dealing as the National Party has in the matter of broadcasting is one to be trusted. The accusations against the Press, all of which seem beyond contradiction, were an eye-opener to me, and explained clearly the reason for many leading articles, etc., giving only one side of the question. Frankly, in spite of the fact that 1 am not ordinarily a Labour sympathiser bv anv moans. 1

found myself thinking, Well, if that is the case, thank heaven democracy has one safeguard left—the ballot box.’ Labour’s promises to B stations may be, and probably are, just vote-catch-ing, but at least they have definitely undertaken, if returned to power, to save B stations from approaching extinction; whereas the National Party had not the common courtesy to answer the questions which were asked them about the attitude to these stations. Finally, if Mr Coates expected to convince when he made a public statement to the effect that no restrictions had been imposed on B class stations, he exaggerates the well-known gullibility of the public. With radio licenses approaching 200,000,_ and several electors in each house, it may be found that an unpopular radio policy can have disastrous effects. —I am, etc., One Web Vote. [Would it appear that the Labour Party puts votes before its policy of nationalisation? —Ed. E.S.]