ESTIMATES REVIEWED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19388, 24 July 1926, Page 14

ESTIMATES REVIEWED.

SEVERAL VOTES PASSED.

THE TOURIST RESORTS. PUBLICITY WORK OVERSEAS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION. ] WELLINGTON, Friday. Soon after it met this afternoon the House went into Committee of Supply to further consider the Estimate®. The first item taken was £1,900,465 for salaries in the Post and Telegraph De-

partment. In reply to Mr, G. W. Forbes, Leader of the National Party, the Hon. W. Nosworthy explained that Ins department received £21,500 from the Internal Affairs Department as payment for work done in connection with the registration of motor vehicles. This was at the rate of Is 6d per car and it could not be done cheoper. Air. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, brought up the question of the alleged failure of the Press Association to send out the statement made by the chairman of the Dairy Control Board at Dunedin in reply to a cablegram sent by a New Zealand journalist to a London paper. He said the central office of that association seemed to fail to recognise its responsibility for the acts of its local agents, many of whom allowed their private views to colour their reports. All sections of the community should receive equal treatment, and he moved that the vote be reduced by £5 to mark the feeling of the Committee in the matter. Statement by Minister. The Minister said the Government was anxious to see that the money spent on telegraphing press messages was not used to disseminate biased reports. If the Leader of the Opposition made a speech at Westport which would shatter the Government, what they wanted was a straightforward report of that speech sent out. He read the correspondence with the manager of the Press Association, which went to show that the association had desired to do the fair thing, but unfortunately its instructions had not been fully carried out. He was bound to say a very poor report was sent out, for which he thought the association should be held responsible. As Postmaster-General he had the backing of his colleagues in insisting that any organisation receiving concessions from the State should render fair and impartial service in return.

Mr. Holland's amendment was rejected on the voices.

After further discussion the vote was passed. The Broadcasting Service. Carriage of inland mails £146,350, carriage of mails by railway £103,200, maintenance of telegraph and telephone lines £575,150, and post and telegraph working expenses £140,000 were passed in quick succession. On the vote of £336,204 for miscellaneous services, Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) protested against the inadequate broadcasting services given in New Zeaknd. He said the company had been given a monopoly oJ broadcasting and the Dominionwwats t entitled to something better for , that concession.

Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill) said wireless in New Zealand should be a State monopoly, but at present our service was useless. Wireless should be under tho Post and Telegraph Department and the people should have the best service possible. The Hon. W. Nosworthy asked members to wait and see the result of the Government experiments ut Auckland and elsewhere. He thought it would be found that everything would be satisfactory next year. When proceedings were resumed in the evening the Minister said ho was not prepared to admit that the present wireless broadcasting service was not a success, although he was not satisfied with things as they were. He asked members to wait until tho new Auckland station was in action next month when he believed much better results would be obtainable. New Issue of Stamps. Referring to the late issue of stamps on which the King's effigy had been the subject of a great deal of criticism, Mr. Nosworthy said the issue was certainly not satisfactory, but better results were anticipated when the Government Printing Office, which was producing them, was nble to apply certain improved methods to printing. The vote was passed without amendment. On the vote of £75,670 for. the Department of Tourists and Health Resorts Mr. P. Fraser said he hoped the construction of the hostel at Waitgmo would be pushed on as quickly as possible. The Hon. G. J. Anderson said it was proposed to go on with the building at once. At a later stage the Minister said the department had arranged for an exhibition of New Zealand scenic films in Australia and America. It was from the latter country that most of the tourist traffic was to be expected. Good publicity work was also beine; done in Britain. He hoped a' fresh series of films of farm life atr different seasons would be prepared for exhibition abroad. He emphasised the point that if wealthy tourists were expected to come to this country proper accommodation must be available, but whatever it was, whether lavish or plain, it must be clean and in some cases it was complained that this had not been the case. Buildings at Eotorua. So far as Rotorua was concerned he had a vote on the Public Works Estimates for a new pavilion and blue bath building. After that additions to the main buildings would be undertaken. Mr. H. E. Holland urged that the historical associations of our scenic resorts should be written up in an attractive style because their story was in many cases of a most entrancing character. . The vote was passed at 11.15 p.m., and the next item taken was Internal Affairs Department £338,961. After a brief discussion the vote was passed. Four further small items were dealt with and the House then rose.