DOSES OF SOCIALISM BY RADIO

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 26 April 1937, Page 9

DOSES OF SOCIALISM BY RADIO

BROADCASTING POLICY. NATIONAL PARTY ATTACKS "RUSSIAN” TREND "The actions of the Socialist Government In regard to radio in general and the B stations in particular demand close scrutiny,” says a statement issued by the National Party. “As everyone knows, the declared aim of the Government Is to control broadcasting in the Dominion, and- recent events have shown an equal determination .to ensure that New Zealand listeners shall hear nothing detrimental to Socialism, in its most vicious form, from their own radio stations.

“The Broadcasting Board; which exercised control free from political domination has been superseded by a director under the control of 1 the Minister of Broadcasting, whose instructions he will have to obey whether he likes it or not; and is there not a danger that this will necessarily develop into Ministers putting their own propaganda over the air and denying their opponents the right to state their case. Our radio policy seems to be modelled on Russian’lines, a system which is being' effectively copied in other dircctiqns in this country.

, “It has been stated by the Prime Minister that the new high-powered 2YA station will be used .to put the Government’s case to the people who are apparently to have the Socialist drug injected into their systems so that they may be lulled into a state of false security by a scries o t specious pror mises.

“We have ali'eadv seen what has occurred in connection with the commercial broadcasting'service, a service ostensibly designed to give those desiring it facilities to advertise over the air, but in reality also destined to serve as a medium for the dissemination of intemperate criticism of the’Government's alleged opponents.' We h’ave seen the attempt made -by Ministers and by the official organ of the Labour Party to create a psychology hostile to the print’d word. ‘The real aim of this is not hard to discover; it is simply a well-thought-out scheme to discredit the Press in favour of .radio • which can more easily be prevented from broadcasting anything inimical to th? party in power.

"Th Prime Minister (who, according to a cartoon In Labour’s official organ, is now on his way to show John Bull how to make a better and brighter England), rarely made a speech without launching an attack on th'e Press. However, a large section-of the public had become so used to Mr, Savage’s platitudes that his tirades fell* rather flat, so it was left Jo the Director of Commercial Broadcasting to carry • on the great work. “For the first time in .New Zealand’s history we have the spectacle of .a State employee (and one of thre most highly paid at that) making . political speeches, and issuing tirades of abusfe, these subsequently proving to have no foundation. The Postmaster-Gejieral promised an inquiry into some of the Rev., Mr Scrimgeour’s utterances, but this power behind the throne tells the world that ‘I expect Mr Jones had to make such a statement out of courtesy to his inquirers.’ If that does not indicate that the Government’s blessing-is-bestowed upon, the Rev. Mr Scrimgeour and that he feels himself strong enough to defy the. Minister, then words mean nothing. It will be interesting to see what sort of an inquiry takes place.

‘‘Another indication of the Government’s plan to control free speech over the air is to be found in the broken election promises to the • B stations.' These station* are now to be taken over also, tmd letters have been sent out by the Acting-Minister of Broadcasting making offers for them. The Minister states that there' will be ho compulsion and that the Government will not- take them over arbitrarily. That statement is not sufficient. The point is this: In the event of 'their refusing to-sell, will they receive any State assistance to help them to carry on, and what'guarantee will they have that their licences will be renewed in the event of their refusal to .become catspaws and disseminators of Government propaganda? There is one speaker from an Auckland B station who has, been a critical thorn in'the G*overnment’s side, and it seems clear that an attempt is going to be made to remove from the air any possibility of critical examination of the Labour Party’s acGon in that quarter. “Such an intrusion on the liberty of the subject should cause every man and woman m this, country to rise against this throttling of- an inherent privilege of British nationals."'

COMMENT BY ACTING-PRIME MINISTER

"MISERABLE ATTACK” In a statement to the press on Saturday the Acting Prime .Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser) said:— ' . “My attention has been drawn to an anonymous communication published this morning- and ascribed to the National Party. I hesitate to' believe that in the National Party there could be found anyone quite so contemptible as to assume responsibility for this particular example of attempted political assassination. I expect the responsible section of the National Panty to repudiate the statement. “The miserable'attack on the Prime Minister, when he is thousands . of miles away on British Commonwealth business, will be resented by the whole* of .the people of the Dominion. The insinuation that Mr Savage could be guilty of anything so reprehensible and sinister in connection with .the Press and radio as has been attributed to him in the statement mentioned will be treated with contempt by all who know.

“As for the assertion concerning the s'"lenient by the Minister in Charge of Broadcasting in connection with the 1Z”" incident,- ascribed in cowardly fashion to a ‘power behind the thrdne,’ it is simply a plain falsehood. ' , “I cannot, congratulate the individual or individuals who have apparently misappropriated the name of the National Party on their skill in political assassination. After all, any person whose inclinations or instincts lie in that direction might as well become expert in the art to which he has sunk.”