COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 10 March 1943, Page 2

COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE

GOVERNMENT’S RECENT ACTION RESOLUTIONS BY LABOUR ORGANISATIONS REPLY BY PRIME MINISTER Wellington, This Day. In an interview published in the official organ of the Labour Party, the Prime Minister Mr Fraser, speaking in reference to resolutions passed by some trade unions and organisations in regard to the Government’s recent action concerning the administration of the Commercial Broadcasting Service, a number of which included an attack on the Minister in Charge of Broadcasting, said: “If any think that resolutions’ whether spontaneous or specially organised containing unthinkable ~nd absurd clamorous demands for abdicating of Government authority over any department and embodying unfair, unjust and totally unwarranted attacks on Ministers, can possibly carry any weight with the Government they are mistaken. The attacks recently made upon Mr Wilson, Minister in Charge of Broadcasting, under the guise of resolutions, were particularly unjust, unfair and altogether regrettable. In some instances they were even contemptible I wish to make it plain that in the recent incident, now satisfactorily adjusted by all concerned, Mr Wilson had the full support of myself and the Cabinet.

“Throughout I and my Cabinet colleagues have always found Mr Wilson to be a thoroughly reliable, trustworthy and efficient Minister, who carries our complete confidence. The position of any Minister will not be prejudiced by unthinking attacks on him because of administrative actions which may not be popular with some sections of the people. It is the clear duty of a Government to listen courteously and to weigh carefully all reasonable representations made to it, and the present Government invariably does that, but it will not be influenced in the slightest degree by, far less spinelessly yield to, uninformed and prejudiced clamour.”—P.A.