RADIO ATTACKS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21553, 16 January 1940, Page 4

RADIO ATTACKS

Mr Savage Replies To Farmers’ Union President Not Satisfied By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, January 15. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, has replied to the letter sent him on December 6 by the Dominion president of the Farmers’ Union, Mr W. W. Mulholland, concerning statements said to have been made by the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting, Mr C. G. Scrimgeour. The Prime Minister wrote: “I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter in which you draw my attention to your complaint concerning statements made by the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting. Your representations on this matter have been carefully noted and also your explanation that the conference at which the question of organised opposition to the Government was discussed was held in July. I feel that the occasion does not warrant the action which you suggest. “There is evidently a good deal of confusion over what was actually said on the air. and I notice that in your letter you do not refer to a very positive statement made by the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting in favour of farmers and expressing the view that, far from being regarded as public enemy no. 3, they were public benefactors no. 1. This statement has obviously escaped your notice. I can assure you that the Government will at all times use every endeavour to safeguard the interests of all sections of the community.” Issue Avoided Mr Mulholland to-day sent the following further letter to Mr Savage:— “Your letter avoids dealing with the matters I raised and introduces questions entirely outside those to which I referred. I must point out that I had no intention of making an ‘explanation’ that our annual conference was held in July. I desired to protest that this fact was suppressed and the inference deliberately given was that the conference had occurred since the war broke out. I did not mention the conference at which the question of organised opposition to the Government was discussed, nor did I make any reference to public enemy no. 3. My letter dealt with a specific offence by the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting, and there is no confusion over what w*as said by him, as he quoted from the ‘Standard’ and it was to the material quoted I took exception. ‘ Unseemly Conduct” “My letter to you dealt with a particular attack on the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, and I asked you definitely to dissociate your Government from this action and these untrue statements, and that you instruct the officer concerned to retract completely without further comment the statements and inferences complained of and make that retraction with an appropriate apology in the same manner as he made the attack and, finally, that you cause the controller to cease such unseemly conduct as he indulged in. You state you feel that the occasion does not warrant the action which I suggested. I must point out that this refusal of any redress definitely associates the Government with the calumniation of a large section of the people. I am very reluctant to believe that this attack was made at the instance or with the approval of the Government. “I appeal to you. Sir, to tell me this is not the case and that this unwarranted and unjustified attack was not made on behalf of the Government; that the Government regrets it was made, that it has no desire to provoke the farming community, that the Government will take the action I urge and that it will do nothing to render difficult the co-operation of the farming community with the Government which the present emergency renders so necessary.”