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Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1931, Page 4

7s the course of nn interview at Wellington Inst week Mr A. E. Donaldson. Secretary of the Wnoqnmii Eotary Club, said be was satisfied that the great majority' of the 60,000 listeners are averse to any change in the system of broadcasting control; but ap-

parentjy they have been lulled into a sense of false security by official assurances that the change it is proposed to make is to be definitely nonpolitical. The proposals set out in the Bill prove conclusively that this is not the case. The four members of the board are to be appointed by, and to bold office at the will of, the Minister, and in all material matters they are to be subject to bis authority. This clearly means departmental dominance. 'The broadcasting service has been successfully pioneered and developed sufficiently up to a certain point. There now remains to be accomplished the big task of completely reticulating the Dominion, so that listeners everywhere shall be assured of good reception. My view, which I think will be universally endorsed by all payers of license fees, is that the expeditious completion of this development should be definitely and specifically assured by the allocation to the responsible body of a quota of the' license revenue not less than that now authorised. This policy should be continued until the service lias reached the maximum stage 01 development, after which any reduction of the quota, which may then he practicable should take the form of a reduction of the license fee. The members of the North Taranaki society appear to have had this in mind when drafting their qnestionaire, "although they appear to have overlooked, or failed to stress sufficiently the servicestarving, revenue-raiding, possibilities of section 13 of the Bill. Under this section it is provided that the board may enter into agreements with the Minister for the payment to the hoard rf portion of the fees received. It is left entirely to the Minister to decide what that portion shall be. At presentit is 25s out of the 395. The Bill leaves it open to the Minister to out this to any extent he may determine, without regard to the wishes and interests of the listeners who provide the money, and devote the anjiount so ‘grabbed’ to any purpose lie , chooses ■—to swelling the profits of the Post and Telegraph Department, for exVmnle. The gentleman now in office will no* doubt disclaim any such intention, but as the clause stands the opportunity for bun to operate on the listeners’ funds is thee, and the only disclaimer worth anything to listeners will be a, specific provision in the Bill safeguarding them from being so robbed. There are other serious weaknesses in the Bilk but the vital weakness is that the Minister, and not the hoard, controls the funds, and that the hoard, although ostensibly responsible for the service, is vested with almost neeleeihle authority. and is empowered to do- nothing of any consequence save with the sanction nrd authority •of the Minister. And this, we are told, is not State control.