FREE SPEECH.

Evening Star, Issue 22881, 12 February 1938, Page 2

FREE SPEECH.

TO; THE EDITOR. Sir, —The report of the recent political meeting at South Dunedin made very poor reiding. The advocates of free speech, tie Labour Party supporters, turned out in force to prevent one of their opponints from speaking. What would happen:if the saner members of the public attended one of the Labour Party meetings and acted in the same manner ? \VJy. they "would be torn to pieces! . But it is ffie attitude of organised Labour to tlfi commercial broadcasting service that I want to write about. Why does Labour ihject to this station or its principal beiig criticised? Every time anyone says anything against this service he isTovled down, and yet it has been the mist expensive mistake the Labour Government has made. Is is a scandal the ivay money is being wasted by the loca! station. Was there any need for it, to broadcast the Sanders Cup race? i The national station had two men on the job at, Victoria wharf and did thf broadcast efficiently, and the commelcial station had what appeared to to seven men on the job and

only gave snatches, or what it calls “ sports flashes ” of the races. During the day it requires two announcers on duty, yet the legitimate station manages with one. I wonder how many hundreds of pounds weekly the local station is losing, as it has over 60 on the staff. The' children’s hour from 4ZB has been the best part of its day’s activities, but last night (the night after the “ three cheers for Scrim ” meeting) the lady and gentleman who have endeared themselves to the local children had the nerve to discuss the price a certain firm was charging for children’s footwear* and both of them agreed that the prices were unbeatable. Let the station advertise if it has to, but let the children’s hour alone and do not compel the two good, friends of the “ kiddies ” to tell them where to go to buy shoes. There are 17 other hours of the day to advertise, so let the children’s hour remain pure and unsullied by motives that are mercenary. The results of race meetings and sports results of all description are broadcast by both ' stations—another duplication and subsequent waste of money. Mr Scriingeour stated over the air that these stations were being run at no extra cost to listeners, when there' is no reduction this year in the annual license fee. Listeners will soon find out whether the commercial service is costing them anything or not. The Labour supporters keep mouthing: “ Three cheers for Scrim.” Why? What is behind all this? Surely the Listeners’ League is strong enough to bring pressure on our local members of Parliament to have this excessive waste of listeners’ fees stopped. If it is not stopped, the listeners will have to rise in a body and out the party that wastes the revenue from licenses to such an extent that the fees, which are the highest in the world, cannot be reduced. —I am, etc.. Bored Listener. February 11.