SERVICES BY WIRELESS

Evening Star, Issue 19791, 15 February 1928, Page 9

SERVICES BY WIRELESS

COUNTRY CHURCH INSTALS SET DEPARTMENT DEMANDS FEE [Pee United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Feßruary 14. The Presbyterian Church at Prebbleton, a country township near Christchurch, recently installed a wireless receiving set, the gift of a member of the church, for the purpose of listen-ing-in to services broadcasted from Christchurch station when no preacher was available for Prebbleton. To the dismay of members the Post and Telegraph Department has demanded a fee of £5 for a license, the same fee as is charged halls, hotels, and places of business. The matter was before the Christchurch Presbytery to-day, being raised by a letter from the Rev. F. Robertson, of Prebbleton, who complained that the fee demanded was an amusement tax, which should not be demanded of churches. If the fee were insisted on the set would have to be dismantled, as no funds were available to pay the fee. The Rev. Webster said it rvas ridiculous for such a fee to be demanded. The Broadcasting Company put on the air free of charge services from all city churches, and yet the department came down on a poor country church. “Why,” he said, “we should be a favored body.” The Presbytery referred the matter to a committee.