IS IT PROPAGANDA?

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 64, 8 December 1937, Page 6

IS IT PROPAGANDA?

Our Own Correspondent.)

Film to be Made oi Public JVorhs Jobs "THIN END OF WEDGE," SAYS MEMBER

' .(From

; -WELLINGTON, This Day. Jl motion. picfare film portraying the operatlons of some of the major Public Works ia New Zealand is sliortly to be released by tbe Government for exhibition. ia tbeatres throughout tlie country. This was aanounced by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, wbea questions were asked about a vote of £400 for a ciaematograph film duriug consideratioa of the supplementary Estimates of the Public Works Department in the House of Representatives to-night. Ia xeply to an enquiry by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, the Miuister said that the objeet of kaving the film made was * to enable the people of New Zealand to sea what was being done by the Public Works Department on some of its major works. As taxpayers^ they were entitled to know how and where their moaey was» being spent. ■ The film would be released to theatres throughout 'the Dominion. "This is a means by which the. Government proposes to u'se the taxpayers3 money to seduce them into beiieving that beeause they see a lot of estxavagant maehi^iery all must be well with the department, ' ' said Mr. W. J. Polson (Opposition, Stratford). "No doubt it would be a charming thing to look at, but it hardly seems to be cricket to use pgblic funds to provide a •film for the entertainment of those who cannot analyse the 'position for themselves. .Pictures . of the Miuister 's machines hard at work would create an impression in the mina of the unthinking person that the department is doing wonderful work." The Miuister of Lands, the Hon. P. Langstone: A lot of these films will b« shown outside the country, where those who see them will not even have the opppxtunity of voting for the member for Stratford. "I am not attacting the Minister," Mr.. Polson said. '"I am attaciung the principle by which this sort oi thing is allowed to go to the theatres and create a wrong impression, thereby making it an instrument -of political propaganda. I am inclined to think thk is the thin end of the wedge, and that before long large sums will be spent on political propaganda." "The honouiable gentleman ■ haa discovered a mare's nest," said the Minister in xeply, "It is a* simple film showing methods of construction, and If the honourable gentleman- desires to draw on his imagination and talk about extravagance he is welcome to ,do ko. I challenge the Opposition to show; that the purchase of any of these machines represents extravagance. Every oue of these machines used on the major Public Works has paid for itself. This is a simple film without any bands playing or drums banging^ and there is no political propaganda about it. The Labour Government did not invent these machines. It just'had brains enough to use them."