RADIO CONTROL

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19909, 11 June 1936, Page 8

RADIO CONTROL

REPLY TO CRITICISM. PROPOSALS DEFENDED. POSITION or B STATIONS. i \\‘ELLIXGTON, \Vednesday. ' Replying to Opposition criticism of the Broadcasting Bill during the second reading debate in the House of Representatives to-day the PostmasterGeneral, the Hon. F. Jones, contended that the objection to State ownership or commercial stations was unjustified. Experience had shown that both the Australian Broadcasting Commission and the Federal Government were powerless to deal with commercial stations in Australia, and surely that was an argument in favour of Govern—ment control. Before the elections, Mr Jones coutinuod. the B stations had taken the view that the Broadcasting Board and the then Government were opposed to their interests. The board had bought out several stations at a cost of over £SOOO, and the others thought that they were likely to be put of!” the air. “There has been criticism of radio advertising," Mr Jones said. “ We as a Government spend over £20,000 a year in advertising. Why should we not spend some or that money on ad—vertising through our own radio stations? The only objection is that it will reduce the profits of advertising firms and the newspapers.“ 1 i , “ Buying Popularity." ‘ The opinion~that the day would come when the Government would regret its action in introducing the Broad—casting Bill was expressed by Mr S. G.‘ Smith (Opposition—New Plymouth).i The Bill, he said, was the most dangerous brought down this session. I Mr Smith said the people who paid the licence fees had never been consulted concerning the Bill, even though the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, had talked for years about the rights of the people. The listeners' money would be used for propaganda .pur—poses. The Government was going to try to ,buy popularity with other‘ people‘s money. Once hostility began. to grow, the Government would use the'air to bolster up its case. and the Opposition would be denied a fair chance to reply. The public interest and public service should be the first, considerations in broadcasting. i The Division. 1 At the conclusion of Mr Jones' speech the Opposition called for a division, which resulted as follows: Ayes (4 9) .—-;\nderl.on. Atmore, Barclay, Barnes, Barrell, C. H. Burnett, Campbell. Carr, Chapman. Christie. Coleman, Cotterill. Cul—len. Denham. .Fraser. Herring. Hod—gens, llowarti, Hunter, Jones, Jordan. Langstone, Lee, Lowry, LyDn. MGDougali, McMillan, Mason, Meachen, .\loncur, .\lunro, Nash, Neilson, Nord—meyer, O’Brien, Parry, Petrie, Ratana, Richards-Roberts, Robertson; Savage, Schramm, Semple, Sexton. Sullivan. Thorn, Webb, \Viison. ‘ Noes (19).—Bodkin, Broadtoot, T. ‘D. Burnett, Coates, Cobbe, Dickie, ‘Endean, Forbes, Hamilton, Hargest, Holland. Holyoahe. Kyle, Polson, Ran—‘som, Ploy, Smith, \Niikinson. \Vright. Pairs.-—For the Bill: Coulter, McCombs. Against the Bill: Ngata, Henare. OOMMITTEE STAGE. ‘ AMENDMENTS DEFEATED. j WELLINGTON, \\'ednesday. i Various clauses of the Broadcasting‘ Bill were keenly contested when the measure reached the committee stage in the House of Representatives this evening. The Postmaster-General, Hon. F. Jones, in replying to points made by Opposition speakers. said a Depart—mentot Broadcasting would shortly be established. Commercial stations would be run by the Government on a proper business Ibasis and the advertising rates would be determined when the time came. He could assure Opposition members that no objectionable advertisements would be broadcast. The station now being erected at Titahi Bay would be used during the session for the broadcasting of Parliamentary de—bates. At other times it would be used for ordinary programmes or any other purposes. perhaps even for commen—taries on wrestling matches. The discussion on the short title had been in progress for about an hour and three—quarters when the Prime Minister rose and moved the closure. The Opposition called for a division, which was carried by the Government by 43 votes to 16. The short title was carried on a subsequent division. ‘ An amendment to the clause abolish— ‘ ing the Broadcasting Board was moved ivy the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates (Opposition—Kaipara), who sought to have the board replaced by a Broadcasting Corporation consisting of the Minister, three representatives elected by the listeners and two members appointed by the Government. lie said that. im—partiality was a Dre-requisite of any? broadcasting service. "Humbug and Hypocrisy." i The Minister of Railways, lion. D.i O. Sullivan, said that when Mr Coates was in attics he had had ample oppor—: tunity of giving the listeners reason-. able representation. but his Govern-, ment had simply scoffed at the list—‘ eners‘ requests. ”For lunadulterated. unmitigated‘ humbug and hypocrisy the amendment heats anything I have heard of in this House,“ Mr Sullivan said. "The members appointed by the present Government will not be political derelicts who have served the Reform Partv, nor will they be people appointed be—cause or their political views." . The amendment was defeated by 1.3 votEs to 18. An amendment moved {by _‘lr “r. J. Poison (Opposition—Stratt‘ordl to make the Minister carry on the broadcasting service in conjunction with the advisory council was defeated by is votes to 17. Mr \\'. J. Broadi'oot (Opposition—\\’aitomo) then moved an amendment to delete the provision that the director of broadcasting should hold office during the pleasure of the Haven]ment. He said that such a provision would place the director in an in—vidious position. . The amendment was lost on the voices. and a suhsequent (thision rc~ suited in the clause providing for mu appointment of a director being re. iuinrtt ii)’ iii \'Hit's~ to ill. ;\t :i into hour the House “as still in committee. i ::~- m i