The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1936. RADIO IN PARLIAMENT.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13171, 1 February 1936, Page 4

The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1936. RADIO IN PARLIAMENT.

For the past two or three years the Labour Party in New Zealand has made strenuous efforts to have proceedings in Parliament broadcast, but the government of the day was equally firm in its refusal to allow such an innovation ; whether this was the dictum of the then Postmaster General (Mon. Adam Hamilton) or was due to the influence o! the Cabinet- members we do not know, but at all events the proposal met with a deaf ear whenever it was suggested. Consequently it occasioned no surprise when it was announced in the Press tnis week that the Government intended putting their long cherished idea into practice, and that in the near future listeners would have facilities for hearing their Parliamentary representatives oven the ether. From the point of view of the constituents the effect of the new order wrH be double-edged—-there being hotfT advantages and disadvantages. Without committing any breach of journalistic etiquette, we may point out that the" published reports of members’ speeches sometimes flatter their oratory powers, for it strictly verbatim reports were printed at random the public would receive something in the nature of a surprise, and if uninterrupted broadcasts are made during Session, listeners will not be able to enjoy tlie truits of the tactful sub-editor’s pencil- Then again some politicians indulge in what ‘TVIr Speaker” terms “Unparliamentary language” and. although they are immediately

brought to hook, we fear that certain listeners would take umbrage at such liberties, unless of course the Speaker’s duties are extended to include the shutting off of the microphone. There would, of course, be much to commend the innovation, as busy people, unable to- spare time to pour through the Hansard or the Press reports, could glean an outline of the happening at certain odd moments. The Tighter side of Parliament. which always has its expression, would also be intensified, and would not the member for Mataura, have been a popular draw if radio -broadcasts had been permitted in the earlier days oF his accession to Parliamentary honours? On the wTToTe T.tiere teems no reason why the Innovation should not be given a trial at least, and as the new Postmaster General, Hon. P. Jones, seems determined to do away with fnany of the present pinpricking restriction* on radio control and tho licensing of “B” stations, listeners may look forward witn interest to tho new order that has been foreshadowed since the advent of the jTreserlT Government.