TIMARU ON THE AIR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21154, 29 September 1938, Page 11

TIMARU ON THE AIR

To ths Editor ot " The Tlmaru Herald'' Sir,—At his meeting on Friday evening Mr Carr was asked why Timaru had always been overlooked in the matter of a local radio station. Mr Carr indicated that the DXers had been largely responsible. This was correct, but Mr Carr may have gone further and apportioned much of the blame to the listeners themselves. In the past Timaru license-holders have allowed a very small minority—the Timaru Radio Club—to dominate the position. The club assumed the mantle of authority and presumed to represent the listeners of Timaru. Had it been working in the interests of the majority of listeners it would have pressed for a station long ago. This illustrates how a minority can dominate the position provided it has enough assurance. In this case a small group of D-Xers protested strongly against the establishment of a local station, and were permitted to get away with it. The Timaru Radio Club, by the very paucity of its membership, had really no significance so far as the majority of listeners were concerned. When matters were not going its way the club refused to handle the final figures for or against a station for presentation to tire Government. However, I understand the Timaru Radio Club, so far as its functions as a club are concerned, has disbanded. And. in the interests of listeners generally, it won’t be missed. We certainly should have a station in Timaru, but listeners will agree that Mr Carr’s remarks on Friday evening regarding the possibility of a station must not be taken too seriously. “In the not very distant future” is very vague, and we have to remember that we are on the eve of an election. Mr Carr was in error in saying that the Radio Club had written to various organisations to seek their support in the establishment of a local station. Ths club definitely did not seek support. It wanted opposition, and when sufficient opposition was not forthcoming, refused to handle the final results.—l am, etc., R. W. ANDERSON. Timaru, September 28.

FATE OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES To the Editor or “ The Timaru Herald " Sir,—By alleging that it was a secret and sinister attempt on the part of Js opponents to undermine the Labour Party, the Rev. Clyde Carr has attempted to make political capital out of a pamphlet dealing with the effect of the Social Security proposals on friendly society members. The pamphlet 1 understand set cut to show that friendly societies would cease to exist under the Government’s new legislation. Why should it be necessary to resort to secretiveness co emphasise an obvious truth? Anyone who gives -he matter a moment’s serious thought will realise that the Government’s sick other benefits scheme will put friendly society organisations out of existence, as the two schemes cannot exist side by side. Indeed it is no part of the Government's Socialistic intentions that there should continue to -exist any private competition with its own scheme, any more than it would allow private transport operators to compete with the Government transport system. The whole question can be reduced to very simple terms so far as friendly societies are concerned. It will be compulsory for every young man and woman to contribute 5 per cent of his or her salary, plus registration fee—to the Social Security Scheme. What inducement will there be for any young person to be a contributing' memb: .■ of a friendly society for the purpose of obtaining the same class of benefits in respect of which they are already obliged to compulsorily contribute to a Government scheme? There will be no inducement whatever, and most young people would be unable financially to contribute to two schemes. Without these young recruits to their ranks, friendly societies will not be extinguished—they will “fade away and gradually die." I wonder will friendly societies remain passively acquiescent In their own demise?—l am, etc., FERHAPS-NOT. Timaru, September 28.

THE EUROPEAN SITUATION To the Editor of “ The Tlmaru Herald ” Sir,—Mr Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, certainly is deserving of our best thanks for the courageous step he took to avert a European war. Still, in looking back on the last few years, I can only form the opinion that the British and French statesmen are’ somewhat to blame for the humiliating position in which we find ourselves at the present time. Now, the main plank in the British foreign policy is to find out the causes of war and remove them. In view of the fact that the German spokesmen—General Goering and Dr. Goebbels—have periodically demanded the return of the German Colonies, and having in mind the above quoted foundation of the British foreign policy, can we then, in all earnest, say that everything has been done in the past to preserve the peace of Europe? The demands of General Goering and his colleagues make very plain reading, and have only one meaning. For example, General Goering declared that her Colonies were stolen from Germany, and added “Germany wants a share of the world’s sources of raw material, and we shall get them." Sir, the meaning of that statement is so

obvious and clear that it is rather surprising that our statesmen saw fit to ignore it. But we can relegate that to past history, and deal with the present time. In looking over the position as it is to-day I can only come to one conclusion, and that is that Herr Hitler has completely turned the tables on us. It is quite evident—if war should eventuate—that instead of Britain being on the defensive for a while at least, Herr Hitler by not attacking on the western front as we have been expecting him to do has compelled us to take the offensive right at the beginning of hostilities, which quite possibly may mean the difference in winning or losing. Britain and France have spent millions upon millions with one object in view, namely defence.. France constructed what is called the Maginot Line of defence along her eastern frontier, costing somewhere about 200 millions. It is a huge underground structure of steel and concrete. And the French military experts reckoned that no army could cross that line and live. But what do we find now? We find that at the very outset this very much vaunted Maginot Line will be practically useless, as it will be behind our men instead of in front of them as it was intended for.' And that factor alone, sir, I fully believe will mean an extra loss of our man power of several hundreds of thousands. The German defensive position on the western front is an unknown quantity to me, as it must be to all of us. But there can be no doubt abbut its effectiveness. And behind those positions are thousands of miles of concrete roads and railway lines constructed for the purpose of massing troops and material at any given point. But of course there are so many factors entering into this question of war that make it impossible for anyone even to guess at what the outcome of it all is going to be. There are Russia, Italy, Poland, Rumania, and, of course, Czecho-Slovakia, and no doubt other nations will be drawn into the conflict. In conclusion, I might state that if Mr Chamberlain is successful in averting a general war, then I certainly think that Britain and France should immediately reopen the question of returning some Colonies to Germany.—l am, etc., W. N. CLAUSEN. Timaru, September 28.