THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1948 SERVICES OR POLITICS?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26778, 22 May 1948, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1948 SERVICES OR POLITICS?

The people of Central Otago have a lively awareness of the disadvantages they suffer through lack of efficient transportation to outside centres and markets, and they are making a commendable endeavouf to impress on the authorities the need for an early improvement. Last week a representative gathering at Alexandra put forward an excellent case for the. early inauguration of a railcar service, a request which might fairly have been expected to have the support of local members of Parliament instead of being dismissed with offensive sarcasm, as it was by one. On Wednesday of this week there appeared in our columns the report of the latest attempt by private enterprise to wriijg from a reluctant and obdurate authority permission to operate an air taxi service which would enable passengers and light freight to be transported swiftly and efficiently between Dunedin and Central Otago towns, and. statements that have been supplied since ter the Daily Times leave no room to doubt that the service would be assured of substantial support. It has been pointed out that the fruitgrowing industry, in particular, would be quick to avail itself of air transport, since by this means fruit could be despatched to the cities at a more advanced stage of ripening, and the link with the air freight service to the north could be employed to advantage in extending the markets for Central Otago fruit.

It would be no exaggeration to state that fruit-growing in the sunfavoured valleys of Central Otaga could, once water becomes available, be expanded into an industry many times its present size, one offering great possibilities of export trade if efficient transportation could be assured. Under the stultifying hand of bureaucracy, however, every effort to develop the methods of transportation desired by the Central Otago people is being thwarted. The city of Dunedin, which owed its early prosperity to the wealth drawn from the Central and will progress in the future just as quickly as it can funnel through its port the greater riches that the future will yield, cannot remain apathetic to this official indifference to the needs of, the country districts. Indeed, it would be foolhardy for the city to adopt any other course than that of organising the absolute maximum support for any representations that Central Otago might desire to make Regarding transportation facilities. And with regard to the air link in particular, delay in establishing the air connection between Central and the city might well result in Dunecfin’s again being apportioned the role of Cinderella so far. as air services are concerned. Resolute efforts on the part of local bodies in both city and country will assist in convincing the authorities that Otago must be given its rightful proportion of transport services, but the greatest, help can be given by members of Parliament, whose position enables them to advocate at the centre of planning. If Mr Connolly and his associates are genuinely desirous of advancing the interests of Otago there is ample scope for the full absorption of their energies in seeking remedies for the many complaints that have recently been directed to the Government. Their active support in these causes would be welcomed and would be more acceptable to the people of the province than cheap political gibes at those who are endeavouring to have something done.

THE FILM INQUIRY

The latest Government-sponsored public inquiry is concerned with the film industry in this country. There are eleven members of Parliament on the committee of inquiry, including the Minister of Industries and Commerce, and there is an array of counsel to represent the associated interests. All this would have appeared impressive when the inquiry was opened op Monday if it were not for the fact that no one seemed to have a very clear idea what it was all about. The answer appears to be that representations about various matters have been made from time to time by “ certain trade unions.” Some of these representations had been made, it was stated, in the interests of public safety in the theatres. Others came from independent operators who were concerned about possible future developments as the result of the establishment of big exhibiting circuits. If doubts are held about the safety provisions in theatres, it should not be necessary to set up a special committee of inquiry since there are authorities whose duty it is to supervise places of public entertainment. As for the independent operators, the memorandum issued by two departmental officers stated that “ the information accumulated did not disclose any outstanding evils in the chain operator-independent situation.” The committee nevertheless has continued its sessions.

In 1934 an inquiry into the conditions of public film exhibition was held, but on that occasion it was' prompted by a series of disagreements between the exhibitors and the film exchanges. Since then the outstanding development has been the amalgamation of exhibitor interests. To-day two organisations virtually control the metropolitan theatres of New Zealand, the independent operator being confined to suburban theatres and the couhtry. It is probably this situation, and the opposition of the trade unions to monopolies—other than those created by the Government—which has prompted the inquiry. It may also be prompted by the fact that a film inquiry was held in Great Britain in 1944 and that an Act embodying some of its findings was passed last March. That Act was concerned largely with film renting and quotas and was welcomed by the trade as introducing a more flexible system. It did provide for the prevention of further extension by the large circuits, but this was a formal step since Mr J. Arthur Rank had previously undertaken to safeguard the public on this point and on other matters referred to in

the report of the inquiry committee. At the New Zealand inquiry, however, the departmental memorandum has advised that because of its nature there must be some sort of monopoly in the film,, industry. Perhaps the inquiry ma}? recommend that some sort of a “ watching brief ” be maintained on local developments. In the matter of public safety, there may be recommendations for more rigid supervision in the theatres and an enforcing of existing provisions. For the rest, speculation is handicapped by a lack of knowledge of the real purpose of the inquiry, a handicap which is apparently shared by the committee.