Social Justice Off The Air

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 23, 20 February 1948, Page 5

Social Justice Off The Air

Crusaders Seeking Support For Comeback Social Justice Sessions are off the air, terminated by the Minister of Broadcasting, and leaders of the Crusade for Social Justice are deeply hurt about it. In a lengthy statement issued to the Press, they call upon the people of .New Zealand to demand the session’s reinstatement.

Space will not permit publication of the full text of the statement, but ~a summary follows. The sponsors claim that the Social Justicb Session has been a focal point for ten years for Church Leaders of all denominations, members of many large organisations and thousands of people in New Zealand working for Social Justice. , The bitter experiences of depression and wars have clearly shown that the full implementation of the principles advocated in this Session are essential forerunners to economic stability and international peace for the peoples of New Zealand and other Nations.

“For some time the Scripts have been subject to a very severe censorship,” the statement alleges. “On one occasion a Biblical quotation of the words of Christ was blue-pen-cilled from a clergyman’s Script. Freedom of the air has been reduced to almost a farce on many occasions. For years, Church leaders and leaders of many of the well-known organisations in New Zealand broadcast in the Social Justice Session. The censorship upon these speakers became so distasteful that invitations to them to speak were curtailed, as it was considered an indignity that prominent leaders should have their scripts so mutilated. The Social Justice Session has been anxious to have open discussions by representatives of different organisations on the air, but the censorship has made this impracticable. “The reason given by the Minister of Broadcasting for terminating the session is that the time is needed for a Citizens’ Forum. There is no indication that this I Forum will be democratically controlled. The first Government-directed Forum being broadcast is a discussion on whether milk shall be delivered to the door or to the street box.’” Whilst welcoming such sessions, if controlled by the people, the Social Justice Crusade has pointed out that ample other time is available without closing down the Social Justice Session, and that a day other than Sunday 1 would be more appropriate.

“On the different other occasions that the Minister of Broadcasting has terminafed the Social Justice Session, the people of New Zealand have telegraphed and written to the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament in such numbers that each time it has been reinstated,” the statement continues. “Unless the citizens of New Zealand telegraph and write to the Minister of Broadcasting as to their wishes now, they will be in danger of losing still more freedom and will be postponing the day of ordered progress and better living standards for themselves and their families. “Listeners pay the radio license fees to have the programmes they desire. Electors pay the salaries of their Members of Parliament to have their wishes carried out, and not to be dictated to against their wishes.”