OBJECTION TAKEN TO JOKE ABOUT MINISTER BY RADIO COMEDIANS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1948, Page 5

OBJECTION TAKEN TO JOKE ABOUT MINISTER BY RADIO COMEDIANS

LONDON, October 11. The Western Brothers (“Play the Game, You Cads”), two of Britain’s leading radio and music hall stars, are in trouble because of a joke they told about the Minister of Fuel and Power (Mr Hugh Gaitskell) during Saturday night’s “Music Hall” programme on the 8.8. C. light programme. So many listeners rang up the studio and complained that the 8.8. C. authorities said that an inquiry would be held into why the joke was passed. Mr John Sharman, the producer of “Music Hall,” said: “The joke went before the producers’ committee, which censors all scripts, and was approved. Most politicians are used to having their legs pulled in this way and they realise that no offence is intended.” Mr Gaitskell refused to say whether he had himself complained to the 8.8. C. The joke was about three candidates appearing before the Coal Board Selection Committee when applying for a job. Each was asked to multiply 12 by 12. The answers varied and a question was put about who got the job. The final line was. “Don’t bother to work it out. The man who got the job was Mr Gaitskell’s nephew.”