THE B STATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23213, 10 June 1937, Page 12

THE B STATIONS

ARBITRATION OPPOSED REPLY TO MINISTER'S STATEMENT A reply to the statement made by the Acting Minister of Broadcasting (Mr F. Jones) yesterday concerning the position of the B stations was offered in the following terms yesterday by the secretary of the Otago Radio Listeners' League:— 'There is nothing in the statement by the Minister which needs comment, as the whole of his policy was known to the listeners before it was issued, and my remarks at the public meeting covered every point. It is not necessary for me to repeat statements I have already made, except to say that the Minister and his colleagues seem to think that I am out to attack and harass the Government This is not so, as Ido not wish this controversv to become a political issue. The plain fact is that the listeners were promised a certain policy when they voted for the present Government, but it has changed its policy, and no reasonable justification has yet been shown for that change I know by the support I am receiving from thousands of listeners and public bodies that it is not the wish of the listening public that the B stations should cease to exist " Since the public meeting the petition which was adopted has been signed freely, and I have received numerous requests from the country for copies. The Minister's chief argument seems to be that there is to be no compulsion to sell, and that the stations which do not wish to sell are to be invited to go to arbitration Why does the Minister say nothing

" Since the public meeting the petition which was adopted has been signed freely, and I have received numerous requests from the country for copies. The Minister's chief argument seems to be that there is to be no compulsion to sell, and that the stations which do not wish to sell are to be invited to go to arbitration Why does the Minister say nothing could be fairer than that the stations should submit to arbitration now. when before the elections the stations were promised a subsidy or advertising? The stations do not desire to go to arbitration, because, if they do, they are committing themselves and would have to abide by the decision of the arbitrators. They fear that they will not get a square deal that way. " What is desired is that the Government will recognise that they are the people's elected representatives, and that, as such, they will realise that it is their duty to carry out the wishes of the people. The people in thousands all over the country have said that they do not wish the B stations to be taken off the air. If the Government will carry out the request of the public meeting and allow the listeners to vote on the subject, I, for one, am willing to abide by their dacision. "The whole issue seems to lie in the fact that prior to the elections the listeners were told that the B stations were to remain, and that they would be adequately assisted. Why this change of policy and altered attitude toward the Government's own advocacy of the doctrine of free speech? I trust that when this matter is under discussion at the caucus on June 17 the members will view the position from the point of view and interest of the listeners. In so doing they will partly restore some of the confidence which has been lost by the party over this matter." REQUEST FROM AUCKLAND THE MINISTER SILENT (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 9. No reply had been received to-night by the B Stations Protection Committee from the Acting Minister of Broadcasting (Mr F. Jones) to its request for permission to broadcast a mass public meeting to be held in the Town Hall to-mor-row night to discuss the future of the B stations. In compliance with the Minister's recent request that copies of speeches be sent to him for perusal, an outline of the four main speeches was despatched on Tuesday night.