Broadcasting and the Press

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 227, 26 September 1935, Page 7

Broadcasting and the Press

Labour Launches Attack ALLEGATIONS OF MUZZLING Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. In the House to-night urgency was accorded the passing of the Imprest Supply Bill and the House went into Committee of Supply. Mr. Coates explained that it was intended to take supply for £4,954,000 for two mouths. Mr, M. J. Savage, leader of the Opposition, said he wondered why supply was taken for two mouths while the House was sitting. He proceeded to deal with broadcasting and said the public had only themselves to blame for the position that had arisen. Broadcasting was slowly but surely being muzzled. He said there should be absolute freedom of the air and added that one heard often of the freedom of the Press, but he had not seen it very much yet. According to the newspapers nothing tho Opposition to tho Go\ernment said had anything in it. The newspapers appeared to him to have special concern for vested interests. Tho public interest did not come into tho picture. He had hoped someone starting’ a newspaper would give the unvarnished truth, but he was gradually losing hope in that direettion. No matter what newspaper they picked up the same side of the picture was presented and ho wondered what was going to happen to broadcasting. He. was just a little afraid that what happened to tho newspapers would happen to broadcasting if the House allowed it. He could see no logical reason for preventing anyone who had anything interesting to say from saying it.. Ho knew some members said people did not want to hear speeches, but that was not his opinion. Mr. Savage said the B stations were being crushed. They had helped to build up the services that had been built up and had helped to popularise broadcasting. The freedom of the Press did not exist. The Press expressed tho views of those in control and gave very little publicity to the views of the Opposition, and he wanted to see sonic alternative means of publicity. If he ever came into control he would see that that alternative was provided and he would encourage B stations and! broadcasting. Ho admitted there must bo intelligent control, but he did not think the means of publicity should be muzzled. Broadcasting in other countries was being encouraged, while iu New Zealand it was.being starved out of existence.He asked the Postmaster-General if ho had anything in his mind to help B stations meet tho illegitimate demands of those who held the copyrights. Mr. Savage said the Government said controversial matters should not, be broadcast, but who was to judge what was controversial. Public questions were discussed in the columns of the daily newspapers. Why should they rot bo discussed over the air. He thought there was a stopping place to the issue of licenses. That was governed by coverage, but stations that had been in operation for some years should not be forced out of existence.

Mr. W. A. Veitcli did not agree with Mr. Savage in his almost complete do nunciation of the Press. He admitted there were somo newspapers that were not worthy of a place among the newspapers of the Dominion, but there were a great maiiy giving valuable service to the people. He did not agree with Mr. Savage regarding tho control of broadcasting and feared some would not receive tho same opportunity in placing their views before electors as others. Ho thought they -were in danger of one party having almost a monopoly of privilege of expressing its views over the air during tho forthcoming election campaign. Ho made a pica for a change of policy regarding broadcasting and urged that the widest opportunity of self-expression should bo given to young peoplo on tho air and equal opportunity to all political parties to express their views over the air.

Mr. W. E. Parry supported Mr. Savage in his charge against the Press and publicity for tho views of tho Opposition. Ho referred to Mr. Coates’s proposal to pay married men more than single men and asked if that policy was to be carried into the rest of the community. Was it to bo expected that a single grocer should sell groceries cheaper than a married grocer. Why was tho original policy of paying a single man the same as a married man tor the same work departed from. A single man lrad his future to consider, 'that principle, continued. Air. Parry, would lead to competition between the singlo man and the married man and everybody knew that employers generally would giro preference to the single man to the exclusion of tho married. man. Ho wished to protest immediately against such a stupid principle. Was I2s per day to bo the,standard wage on public works. If so it was not sufficient. It was not a liviug wage. Mr. Parry also dealt with tho exclusion of five-year-old children from the schools and said it was one of the greatest blunders the Government ever made. The Government’s refusal to encourage kindergartens was also mentioned by Mr. Parry who expressed the hopo that the day was not far distant when kindergarten worn would become part and parcel of t'ho education system. It was too important a work to be left to charity.

Mr. R. Semple urged greater development of coal carbonisation. Britain had encouraged the industry of obtaining oil from coal as the sources of supply might be cut oil iu the event of war and New Zealand was iu exactly the same position. New Zealand industries were becoming more and more dependent on oil. He produced samples of oil secured from the OrepukL shale deposits and said it was a sname that such deposits should be shut dowu and not developed, Ho said the deposits were held by an oil monopoly and were shut down to force New Zealand to secure oil from foreigu companies. The extraction of power alcohol from waste timbfirs was _ agothec industry

that should bo encouraged. He said a ton of sawdust yielded as much as 4U gallons of power alcohol. There was also an excellent tanning liquid which could be obtained from tho Kouthland beech forests. Mr. Semple urged research to ascertain what New Zealand was capable of producing and what industries wore worth being developed. Mr. Semple asked the Prime Minister to give the House an outline of what ho had learned, of the New Zealand wooJpaek while in Bradford. He thought there was a great opening for that industry if it received a littlo assistance from the State. He suggested that the Department of Industrial and Scientific Research should bo reorganised and a trained chemist placed at the head of it.

Air. F. Eangstono also dealt with tho policy of the Press and broadcasting. He said the Press dominated tho policy of the Government and the country and alleged that nothing could be broadcast until it had already appeared in tho daily Press. Tho Press was stifling broadcasting in this country. Ho contended the Press had a guaranteed price and received a bounty from the Government an the shape of telegraph concession rates. Mr. Langstono said as soon as B stations were allowed to broadcast all matter the people would soo where tho power of tho Press really lay. Mr. H. T. Armstrong did not think Mr. Langstono had exaggerated tho position as far as the Press of New Zealand rvas concerned. The yellow Press of America “had nothing on” tho New’ Zealand Tress. He said the newspapers did not daro publish Labour’s side of the case. Tho only people not allowed to broadcast were Labour Party candidates. He thought the people wanted to hear both sides. Ho contended the concerts broadcast by tho YA stations were not as attractive as they used to be, because they did not make use of local talent, but preferred to bring performers from Australia and other places. He alleged the appointments to the Broadcasting’ Board were political appointments. A knowledge of broadcasting was not necessary. He said New Zealand had been turned into a laughing stock for the rest of tho world.

Postmaster-General’s Reply,

Hon. A. Hamilton said he thought tho Broadcasting Board was fairly representative of the community. It was not a political board. If Mr. Vcitch could suggest a scheme by which politics could bo discussed over the air he might be helpful. Mr. Hamilton had discussed tho matter with Mr. Savage and others as to how they might discuss politics over the air during the forthcoming elcctiou, but it-was-not as easy as it looked.

Mr. W. E. Barnard: Is the Minister genuiue in desiring to reach some arrangement? Mr. Hamilton: Quito genuine. Hu went on to say tho newspapers had to consider what was of interest to their readers and the Broadcasting Board had to consider what was of interest to their listeners. Mr. Hamilton asked how many B stations Mr. Savage would license? Britain had only 12 stations, and ho thought tho British system was the admiration of tho world. New Zealand had 21) stations. Was it wise to expend money building up that many stations? One of the evils that occurred iu Australia was political candidates buying their way on to the air. That could not happen in Britain. They had to decide whether broadcasting was to be owned nationally or commercially. Most of the B stations originated commercially. The Government had to watch that the air did not become choked and it was a question of .whether B stations should be allowed to grow and wield great power over the community as some American stations had done. Regarding B stations’ troubles over copyrights, that was a very difficult question and it was very complicated. Mr. T. H. McCombs said although Britain had only a few stations British listeners were in touch w. . Continental stations. He said electricity was being wasted iu New'Zealand. It could be used to manufacture carbide and nitrates and other things that were needed. He contended students in New Zealand were wasting their time on researcu work which had no relation to real life when they could deal with subjects that would bo of use to New Zealand.

Mr. A. S. Richards also dealt with t.ho troatme-t of £ stations.

The Bill was then put through all stages and passed and the House rose at 12.10