UNFAMILIAR VOICE HEARD

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21202, 27 August 1940, Page 4

UNFAMILIAR VOICE HEARD

The unfamiliar voice of an “Opposition” speaker was heard on the New Zealand radio on Sunday night in a “national service” broadcast series which so far has been confined to Government speakers Apparently Mr Hamilton’s association with the War Cabinet has qualified him for a share of the microphone. The public would not be unduly surprised now even if Mr Coates, the other Opposition representative in the War Cabinet, were heard some Sunday night. But apparently the Opposition has not succeeded in persuading the Government that many thousands of people would prefer to hear political and other allied propaganda subjects broadcast on nights other than Sundays. Because of the Opposition’s attacks on the Government for disturbing the Sabbath with controversial political discussions and announcements specially reserved for Sunday nights, the public was intrigued to hear what the Leader of the Opposition would have to say when at last he gained access to the rilicrophone. The choice nf subjects must have given Mr Hamilton some anxiety, and his dec. ion has been applauded by those who contend that Sunday broadcasts should be confined to appropriate topics. The address was a little sermon on the value of Christian faith and a defence of democracy to which after-church listeners could attend without any sense of shock or incongruity. Mr Hamilton did not once mention party politics, but that did not detract from the quality of his address. He did not even divulge any news. He did not offer any propaganda excepting that in the cause of right against wrong. Indeed it is true also that Government speakers of late have gradually allowed party politics to drop out of their Sunday night “fireside chats,” and there is some hope that eventually the radio service for which the public pays will be returned to legitimate uses. Perhaps the Opposition members will attempt to break the Sunday night tradition. If they do not their choice of subjects will continue to cause them concern, in view of what they have said in the past. They might feel less restricted if the Government permitted them to speak of mundane things during the week—that is, of course, assuming that Mr Hamilton has not already exhausted the total time allotted for the presentation of the other point of view.