THE 1ZB PROBLEM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22319, 17 January 1936, Page 12

THE IZB PROBLEM

Sir, —Allow me to disagree with "Astonished." No doubt the Hon. A. Hamilton did a foolish thing, but owing to the circumstances something had to be done. My policy and belief is: A parson's duty is to teach the word of the Lord, and not bo a political disturber. Why blame the National Party for a one-man inspiration? "Astonished" blames the leaders; poor Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates. What a lot of brunt they have to shoulder. Before the election, when butter-fat was at its highest, i actually heard people saying, " That cunning Coates is keeping the price up till he gets in again." Can " Astonished " say that he has never done wrong? If so, he is the man the world is looking for to take an example. I am living in dread of the day when the Now Zealand B stations will be as lax as the Australian, and I take my hat off to the late Government on the way it kept check on the attempts to advertise. I think it is rather unjust to term it an example of the National Government methods, as the late Government did some very fine things, for instance, the Reserve Bank, which the present Government ran down before the election, and now say .it is just "so, so! ' ] can give hundreds of examples, but it would take too much space to print them. In conclusion 1 would suggest that " Astonished " look for some of the good done by the late Government, and perhaps his old inclination, which was a bit marshy, will turn to concrete. Loyal.

Sir, —Many others besides your correspondent "Astonished" must have been much surprised at tho revelation of the circumstances connected with the blocking of the broadcast from Station IZB the Sunday evening before tho Parliamentary election. It can scarcely bo believed that what actually took place was connived at by one in high authority; and those who participated in the perpetration of so mean a trick deserve more than mere condemnation and reproach. But for your eorresponddent to include and inculpate Messrs. Forbes and Coates among the guilty parties and to assume, as lie evidently does, that each of these gentlemen so debased himself, is surely beyond tho bounds of reasonable remarks. To my mind, neither is capable of such a piece of despicable meanness For all that, and notwithstanding assertions to the contrary, it was common knowledge that Station IZB was being used as a medium of attacks on the Forbes-Coates Administration, and many listeners were expecting the station to be deprived of authority to broadcast till after the election, because of its veiled but persistent ■ disparagement of the then Government. The lapse of the head of one State department cannot be accepted as proof-of the unfitness of the whole body, especially under the circumstances then existing, and all unbiassed readers, of "Astonished's" letter in last Monday's Herald will agree that his strictures lire altogether too sweeping in character to be acceptable as fair and reasonable comment on the subject in question. G.