Church With Wireless.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10511, 15 February 1928, Page 5

Church With Wireless.

. CHARGED £5 ’ ‘AMUSEMENT TAX" A VIGOROUS PROTEST (Press Association.) CHRISTCHJURCH, Feb. .14. The Presbyterian Church at Prebbleton, a country township hear Christchurch, recently installed a wireless receiving sec, the gift of a member of the church, for the purpose of listening in to services broadcasted from the C hristchurch station when no preacher was available lor Prebbleton. To the dismay of members the Post and Telegraph Department has demanded a fee of £5 for a licence, the same fee as is charged halls, hotels, and* places of business. The matter was before the Christchurch Presbytery today, being raised bv letter from the Rev. h. RobertsoTi, Prebbleton, who complained that the fee demanded was an amusement tax, which should not be demanded of a church. If the fee were insisted on, the set would have to he dismantled, as no funds were available to pay the fee. The Rev. Webster said that it was ridiculous for such a fee to he demanded. The Broadcasting Company put on the air free of charge services from all the city churches and. and vet, the department came down on a poor country church. “Why," he said, “we should be a favored body. The Presbytery referred the matter to a committee.