BROADCASTING AND ELECTIONS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22516, 26 September 1938, Page 10

BROADCASTING AND ELECTIONS

MINISTER REPLIES TO ALLEGATIONS

(PHESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

AUCKLAND, September 25

"We have had one or two childish complaints about the broadcasting arrangements for different parties during the election campaign," said the Hon. P. Fraser (Minister for Education) during speeches at Takapuna and Milford on Saturday evening. "Those, arrangements were exactly those which Mr Adam Hamilton, the Leader of the Opposition, offered the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) just before the 1935 election. What is sauce for Mr Hamilton is sauce for Mr Savage." Mr Fraser said that the newspapers were trying to create a grievance about the broadcasting programme for candidates or parties. It had been said that the Labour Party deliberately arranged its schedule so that Mr Hamilton should broadcast on a Friday evening, when most people would be out. Actually the National Party had elected that Mr Hamilton should speak on that particular occasion. Friday night was allotted to the - National Party, and n± the party chose t© have its leaden

broadcast on that night the Labour Party could not be blamed. He was sorry to see responsible newspapers making such childish assertions, which suggested shifts to which the Labour Party would not resort.