A FEEBLE DEFENCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 36, 5 November 1937, Page 4

A FEEBLE DEFENCE.

No little interest will be taken in tke attempts which. the Prime Minister and his colleagues made vesterday in the House to defend the appointment of the Rev. Mr. Scrimgeour to the position of Controller of Commercial Broadcasting at a salary of £1500 a year. They evidently xecognised that they had a^very poor qase, for their first move was to raise a smoke-screen by reviving the now almost forgotten talk — that served them so well at election time — about the reverend gentleman's "Friendly Road'" broadcasting station being jaxnmed. Even with regard to th^s they had virtually to acknowledge that Mr. Scrimgeour had so far violated the condi#ons of his licence as to render it jliable to forfeiture, let alone to jamming. In any event that little incident has, or should have, nothing whatever to do with the pertinent question as to why this gentleman, previously understood to be devoting his life to th6 socital, moral. and religious upiift of the community, suddenly blossomed forth as "the only man with a thoroiigh knowledge of commercial broadcasting''— Mr. Savage's own words. The Prime Minister admits that the appointment was virtuaily made by himself without giving the slightest consideration to any other possible alternative. How far Mr. Savage was himself a capable jjtidge on such a question is shown by his originally making an arrangement with Mr. Scrimgeour whereby the latter would have been drnwing somewhere about £10,000 a year, However, that may be passed by, seeing that the reverend gentleman was of such tender conscience that, so Mr. Savage says, he asked to ,be relieved of this financiol incubus and indicated that he would be content with a five-years engagement at a inodest £150i0 a year. How far Mr. Savage really regards his appointee M being competent for the job is fairly we)l indicated by Mr. Endean's disclosure— as yet uncontradicted — that a colleague, under tho style of "saies manager," had to be found for Mr. Scrimgeour at yet another £1500 a year, obviously to carry out the practical work of the Government's new venture. Then as to the little Australian transaction, in which the name of McArthur was involved, Mr. Savage asks us all to be content with his assurance that investigations had been made and that Mr. Scrimgeour Jmd come out of them "with fjlying colours." But as to the institution of au independent enquiry conducted by a disinterested tribunal, the Right Honourable the Prime Minister simply says he will have none of it. Why, if he is so confident of the xesult?