PERMISSION REFUSED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 December 1940, Page 2

PERMISSION REFUSED

FOR SERIES OF BROADCAST TALKS TO AUCKLAND PROVINCE / FARMERS [United Press Association] AUCKLAND. 9th December. Some pertinent comment was made 1 |at a meeting of the Auckland district ! council for primary production when j | advice was received that the radio co- • ; ordination committee in Wellington ! had refused the council permission to ' | arrange for a series of broadcast talks j !to farmers in the Auckland province | with a view to stimulating an increase • ;in production. Dissatisfaction was ex- | pressed and it was decided to make i further representations to the com- 1 • mittee. 1 The secretary. Mr J. E. Bell, re- . ported that on the council’s instructions j jhe had requested that permission be j granted for the broadcast of 15-minute ; j talks once a month. It was hoped that 1 ! the talks would help to stimulate the j ! production of foodstuffs of value for | j export to Great Britain. The talks j would be submitted for approval. The reply received from the station director of IYA stated that the request had been referred to the radio coordination committee in Wellington and it had been decided that it would not be i desirable to broadcast the talks at present. “We regret our inability to j act on your suggestion.” stated the I letter. ! The council's subcommittee had conI sidered the reply, reported Mr Bell. It ! recommended that weekly topical talks i should be given by speakers wellejcnown | Ito the farming community and adi dressed to dairy, sheep and pig farmers ; and women on farms. It further rei commended that the talks should not ibe censored. It cited topical talks) I given by the British Broadcasting Cor- | ' poration. The chairman. Mr R. C. Clark, said the council was given to understand j that Mr A. H. Cockayne, director of \ agriculture, was impressed with the proposal to give the talks. The refusal i looked like lack of co-ordination between the two departments. : Mr H. Woodyear-Smith said that 1 ordinary talks on farming interests had j ■ been cut down from 30 minutes to 15 minutes. In view of the necessity for increasing production, which could be i assisted by talks on the air, the time should be increased rather than diminished. “There is too much sob stuff put over the air and suggestions that everything is going well.” commented Colonel , N. P. Adams. “Essential things are j being side-tracked in favour of purely social efforts.” The chairman: “The idea is that listeners must be'pleased.” Colonel Adams: “I don’t care whether ! they are pleased or not. The job is | 1o get on with essential things.” “The council’s job is to see if it is I possible to increase production and tell 1 the farmer how it can be done. It is unfair to treat us as if we were children." remarked Mr J. Mackie. The letter was received and the subcommittee’s report adopted.