SOCIALISTIC?

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12606, 17 November 1926, Page 7

SOCIALISTIC?

BROADCASTING MONOPOLY KEEN CRITICISM IN THE COMMONS GOVERNMENT UNDECIDED Rv Telegraph.—Pres* Assn.—Copyright, Australian and N.Z, Cable Association. (Received November 16, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 15. The Postmaster-General, Sir William Mitchell Thomson, iu explaining to the House of Commons the new broadcasting arrangements, said the agreement with the news agencies and newspapers would be continued until it was further discussed. He was not prepared to ssiy that broadcasting could be held down by hard-and-fast restrictions such as the expiring agreement contained. The corporation must not be put in a position of privilege, but it must enjoy equality. A general debate upon the vote of £295,000 for the broadcasting servico followed. Mr C. ,G. Ammon (Lab.) twitted the Government with being forced willy nilly along the-road to Socialism. Mr E. A. Harney (Lib.) deoiared that the Government’s scheme was Socialism pure and simple. A great new industry would be compelled to stock monopolistic mud, and in a decade it would be hopelessly handicapped'. Viscount Wolmer, Assistant Postmas-ter-General, in replying said the Government had not closed its mind regarding broadcasting. This was a controversial matter, but the Ministry felt that the present principle should be maintained'; The vote was passed and the House adjourned.