COMMERCIAL STATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 82, 4 October 1938, Page 6

COMMERCIAL STATION

SABOTAGE RUMOUR

NATIONAL PARTY DISCLAIMER

"I have heard today from a fairly reliable source, but accidentally, that there is a possibililty of sabotage of the ZB station taking place just prior to the election," said Mr. W. L. Barker, National candidate for Wellington East, at the Taia Hall, Kilbirnie, last evening. "That rumour may have a foundation, and it may not. At the same time^ after hearing it, I communicated with the National Party headquarters, and they denied that they or any section of the party would have anything to do with it.

"Here and now I would like to say on behalf of the National Party that if it ever takes place we of the National Party will have had nothing to do with it," said Mr. Barker emphatically. "We ask the police, in our interests and the rights of others to take every precaution to see that such a state of affairs does not arise."

A woman's voice: Hamilton did it last time.

Mr. Barker: Yes, he did it last time, but the law of the land then was that nobody should use the air for broadcasting politics. Today, however, such broadcasting is permissible, and to jam a station would be illegal and a major crime. The position was different in 1935. To my way of thinking, the 'authorities should have taken further steps and in a more constitutional manner.