RADIO AGREEMENTS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 25 October 1930, Page 5

RADIO AGREEMENTS

TWO lAIPORTAN'T CLAUSES DETAILS OF COMPANY’S INCOME (By Telegraph.—Special to "The Star.”) WELLINGTON, Oct 25. Two agreemmts made between- the Government and the New Zealand Broadcasting Company, which resulted in the establishment of the present broadcasting system,; were fabled in the House to-dav by the Po-st-mast e-r-G earera 1. -

The terms of the 'main agreement arc well known, but the second agreement of December, i ; 926, .eon-tains some pointy not hitherto published. Under this agreement fhe Government advanced' £15,000 to -the company, secured by r first mortgage on the plant, apparatus, assets- and site' of the 'Wellington station, the -rate of interest being 6 per cent, and the mortgage terminating in five years. The company*, ation of this loan, undertook to- increase the power of the Wellington station to 5000 watts, ten' times, the radio-frequency power of its Christchurch and Auckland stations'.

The- term of the main agreement was extended to January 1, 1931, and two important clauses were read as fellow: (5) The Alinister agrees chat the Post and Telegraph Department. will institute and maintain am active and continuous campaign against persons installing or having a receiving, and amateur transmitting and receiving, or ■experimental station without a license under the Amateur' Radio Regulations, 1925. ...1..

(G) That t-he Alinister, in the event of the -grossi revenue, received by the company in the year 192*7 being less than- an amount equivalent -to 40,000 licenses under the said regulations, will •consider increasing .the fees payable to the company for each such license from 25:9 to £1 15s per annum, as from April 1, 1928. The return, secured to the order of Air R. Semple, shows that the £15,000 loan is s-till current and that the -payments to the broadcasting company with respect to a-11: ela-sses of licenses have been as follow: Eight months ended. March. 1926. £3-501; 12 months ended March'. 1927, £14,103; March. 1928, £42,962; Match, 1929, £54,381; March, 1930 £62,604; April 1 to October 31, 1930. £40,198. The total is £217,752 17s 2d, while, in -addition, the payment for receiving licenses for the year ended Alarch 31, 1930, was £58,748 and for dealers’ licenses £3618. ... ...

so decided, but not otherwise, matters similar to those quoted that, had been agreed to by parties. Mr Ooates said 1 it seemed there was a danger of the Bill being employed as the thin edge of the wedge. The union might be organised and have an award made which would subsequently create a position of compulsory unionism in that .particular quarter. Mr Poison said a Bill of that kind should not be put through the House without all the parties,.concerned having the opportunity of considering every detail of it. Mr W. D. Stewart, said his objection to the Bill was that it had been submitted so late in the session. Legislatiom dealing with the powers of a Court, was of such & far-reaching nature that it should not be ..considered hastily. Mr E. J. Howard said that all that was being asked was that- something that had worked smoothly and successfully for over 20 years should be allowed to continue. New Zealand had been remarkably free from labour troubles and he believed this was largely due to the Arbitration Act. The country was now facing falling prices and there was bound to be a certain amount of tension. He appealed to the House not to do anything that would disturb a system that had worked amicably for so long. . (Beft sitting.)

[ DEBATE ADJOURNED REFORM MEMBERS PROTEST. IVEDDINGTON, Get. 25. In the face of repeated speeches of protest from Reform members,Mho., aet-ing-Brimo Minister moved for the adjournment. of the debate on the second reading of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amenidnieiit Bill in the House of Representatives shortly after two o'clock this morning. Mr P. Fraser .said he hoped the House would not adjourn the debate and.that it mould! put • through the. measure, which had been .promised by the Prime Minister and by the Minister of '-Labour.

Mr Ransom’s motion was adopted by 35 votes .to 16 and the House proceeded to deal with the third, reading of the Appropriation Bill. There was then a change of scene and in the place of a series of Reform speeches, to which the House had listened earlier, there were numerous .protest® from the Labour benches, members complaining bitterly against the Government’s attitude in not going on with the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill.

The Appropriation Bill was eventually read a third time andi passed, the House rising at 4.45 a.m. till 9.30. when the formal end-of-session business will be taken.