RADIO POLICY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 191, 15 August 1940, Page 7

RADIO POLICY

BRITISH LABOUR LEADERS QUOTED TACTICS IN DOMINION CRITICIZED. AUCKLAND, Aug. 14. The truth was that in spite of the opinions of some members of the party, the Government had deliberately and for its own advantage pursued a policy which entirely denied equality of opportunity to its opponents and which, therefore, lacked one of the fundamental features of democratic treatment. They had put into operation a system which was far closer to that of the dictatorships of Europe than to that of free and democratic Britain or America, said the director of the New Zealand Freedom Association, Mr. R. M. Algie, in an address on Tuesday afternoon on “The Misuse of Radio.” Major Attlee, the present leader of the British Labour Party, had said that if any Government were to control broadcasting in the way in which it was controlled on the continent of Europe, the result would be to turn the population almost mto a race of robots. An opinion to the like effect was expressed by Dr. H. B. LeesSmith, who was at that time a leading member of the British Labour Party. The opinions of these British Labour leaders were referred to in the New Zealand Parliament and Mr. Fraser was reported as having said that he admitted the force of Major Attlee’s remark and that he endorsed the Major's statement. Undemocratic Tactics. “It is altogether beyond doubt,” said Mr. Algie, “that the Labour Government has consistently and deliberately used the radio services of the people for political purposes; it is equally true that, in so acting, it has employed tactics that are unfair and wholly undemocratic.” It had to be pointed out, however, that the unjust policy which had been pursued for party ends had not always had the support of some members of the Government whose opinions were entitled to respect. The fact that Labour had departed very far from its much talked of principles would be at once apparent to those who cared to examine the speeches made by Labour leaders a few years ago. Mr. Fraser, when speaking in the House in 1936, said: "We want our opponents on the air equally with ourselves, time for time, as we have always wanted.” One would have thought that, with Labour in complete control, that desire could have been realised easily enough. Continuing, Mr. Fraser said: "If Labour did anything else, it would be betraying its own principles, betraying the trust reposed in it by the people, betraying the highest principles of conduct and equity.” As Labour had utterly failed to give its opponents ‘‘time for time on the air,” it stood convicted of a betrayal of "the highest principles of conduct and equity.” In other words, its fall had been as great as that of Lucifer himself. Mr. Fraser’s Promise. Emphasising his point. Mr. Fraser added: "That Labour Party wants each side of the story to be put over the air so that the people may judge for themselves.” Mr. Fraser said that there “could be no greater flight of lurid imagination" than for anyone to assume that the Labour Government intended to deny to its opponents a full opportunity ot expressing their views over the air. Yet, in point of fact, an equality of opportunity —a

basis feature of democracy—had been consistently and habitually withheld. Mr. Fraser had concluded his speech with the following striking, but wholly unrealised, declaration of policy: “The Labour Government,” he said, “is introducing this Bill to make the discussion of controversial matters, political or otherwise, over the air, as fair, impartial and informative as possible, so that people can form intelligent opinions.” It was more than likely that Mr. Fraser would still adhere firmly to the opinion he expressed in the above words some four years ago, and there was some evidence of a desire on his part to depart from the practice that had been followed and to reach the standard which he regarded as being the right one.