A Radio Ban

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21624, 9 April 1940, Page 6

A Radio Ban

IF the gag applied by the Prime AJinister to the Controller of Broadcasting on Sunday evening means that there is to be an end to the insidious political propaganda which has been disseminated by the commercial radio stations for far too long it will be widely welcomed. Mr Scrimgeonr has been able to take liberties far exceeding those that could have been taken by qny other paid servant of the Government and his final breach was to use his “Man in the Street” session for comment upon Ihe expulsion of Mr J. A. Lee from the Labour Party. In the circumstances it was wise that the Prime Minister should take an early opportunity of showing that his authority is greater than that of the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting. There was a time when Mr Scrimgeour was not so deeply concerned with essentially political questions and simple economics as he lias been in the past year, and there vvopld be no objection to his remaining on the air if he went no further than to expound a philosophy of life which proved quite comforting to a large number of people. No harm at any rate could be done through that. But. even if this privilege were preserved for him it. would still be essential to assure thqt whatever rights be and his service enjpy are shared equally by the National Broadcasting Service, Jn the past the senior service, degrated to something resembling the Cinderella status, has had its usefulness spriously curtailed.

“We all hope this war may end without tremendous slaughter, without an air attack, but we canqpt count on that . Our motto should be, ‘Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”’— Mr C. 11. At lice.

With all due respect to Mr Gandhi, Indians are not pacifists, and the Hindi! religion does not inculcate pacjfis|tt.— J/r //. Ci- il'iicliiison.