FRIENDLY ROAD STATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22904, 11 June 1936, Page 8

FRIENDLY ROAD STATION

THE JAMMING INCIDENT

EX-MINISTER’S RESPONSIBILITY

POSTMASTER-GENERAL’S CRITICISM

(From Due Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, June 10.

A departmental report stating that the former Postmaster-general, Mr .A. Hamilton, had agreed to the jamming of station IZB during the election campaign was quoted by the Postmastergeneral, Mr F. Jones, during his reply to the second reading debate on the Broadcasting Bill in,the House of Representatives to-day. The second reading was carried on a division by 49 votes to 19.

“ The member for Wallace in discussing the jamming of IZB, said last night that he had accepted the responsibility because one of his departmental officers had taken action on his own judgment,” Mr Jones said. “He said that his only instructions had been that if the station infringed the ■ regulations it was to be put OIF the air by the cancellation of its licence. In the circumstances I may perhaps be permitted to read a report which was made to me on the subject.” The report, Mr Jones.said, stated that Mr Hamilton had been informed that station IZB was likely to discuss politics and that pamphlets had been issued, giving an indication of possible action along these lines. The Minister had discussed with his departmental officers the possibility of putting ’ the station off the air. It had been pointed out to him that a warning that the licence would be cancelled would serve no useful purpose, and he bad agreed that the station should be jammed if the necessity arose. An oscillator had accordingly been sent specially to Auckland for that purpose. Mr J. G. Coates.' (Opposition, Kaipara): Who made the report? Kir Jones: A staff officer of my department. Mr Coates: Was it the Directorgeneral? Mr Jones: Yes. * V." Mr C. L. Carr (Govt., Timaru) : What have you got to say about that? The report continued that afteY the jamming of the station had taken place the matter had been referred to Mr Hamilton, continued Kir Jones. Kir Hamilton had stated that the action was justified. Mr Hamilton: I did nothing of the Sort. . .

“I understood; that the former Post-master-general took full responsibility for the jamming of the : ■station,” Mr Jones said, “and consequently I took.no further action. Now he takes up another attitude and he says to-day that the departmental report is not correct.

Mr Hamilton: Would you accept responsibility for your departmental officers?

Mr Jones: : Yes, if I had issued instructions.

Mr Hamilton repeated that he had never given instructions for the station to be jammed. He had taken the responsibility because the jamming had definitely been carried out by an officer of a department which at the time was under his control.

THE OFFENDING STATION

MR HAMILTON’S EXPLANATION

(From Odr Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 10, “ There seems to be an impression that I instructed the department to do the jamming, but I did not do anything of the sort,” said Mr Hamilton at a later stage in the debate. “ The licence to the Friendly Road station was not granted in accord with the recommendations of the department, hut by-the Government in response to a largely-signed petition. There is no doubt that I gave instructions that if the station offended too greatly against the regulations it was to lie stopped. If an officer carrying out his duties in an. official way adopted some other method then I, .as Minister and head of the department at the time, have to take the blame. I gave no instructions to use the method adopted.”