MR SCRIMGEOUR AND THE FARMERS

Southland Times, Issue 24011, 29 December 1939, Page 7

MR SCRIMGEOUR AND THE FARMERS

To The Editor

Sir, —One Sunday night some time ago we heard the controller of commercial broadcasting, Mr Scrimgeour, going well over the air. His remarks that night have been the cause of serious protests to the Prime Minister, and his challenge has been accepted by a member of the Farmers’ Union. Neither Mr Savage nor Mr Scrimgeour has made any reply so far. If a civil servant is going to be allowed to use the air on Sunday night or any other night in this way without being put in his place by those in power, then I say New Zealand is no longer worth living in. The Government is asking for more co-operation and more production, and at the same time it allows the Farmers’ Union, and that means the farmers, to be spoken of in a radio address by a civil servant as an enemy of the public. No wonder the cockies are getting their blood up. This same civil servant was lucky enough to land a Government job for which he collects £l5OO a year. That works out at £125 a month, nearly £3O a week, more than £4 a day for every day of the year, and, on the 40-hours a week programme, more than 14/- an hour—quite good going. On top of that he is to have £70,000 of public money spent on an unnecessary building in which to carry on the good work. No wonder he can do and say what he likes. Mr Scrimgeour is quite entitled to have his opinions of the Farmers’ Union, but the farmers are not in the mood to listen to his opinions being broadcast while they are denied the right to reply. The Farmers’ Union and the farmers who are expected to play a leading part in defeating one enemy must lose no time in getting to the bottom of this other enemy “No. Three” affair. Mr Mulholland should go for it; we are going to back him this time.— Yours, etc.,

CASEY THE COCKY. December 27' 1939.