Niggardly Policy

NZ Truth, Issue 1195, 25 October 1928, Page 3

Niggardly Policy

And all this is permitted by legislation which would possibly not stand the test of judicial scrutiny. Let us look for the reason of the inefficient service at present existing at the Y.A. stations. It is only natural that the heads m the business are not keen to have .the searchlight of a public inquiry turned on their operations, but a close and thorough investigation by a special representative of "N.Z. Truth" elicited sufficient facts to induce the belief that everything is not as well as it looks on the tranquil surf ace, of broadcasting from the YA stations 1 . No doubt there are many more .instances which cotild be quoted, bearing testimony to the muddled control of this organization, but the public will find sufficient data as a result of "Truth's" inquiries to convince them that the Government must step m arid either sweep out the present improve the scrvijge, or leave the way clear for those who are prepared to spend .their own money m doing so. As the result of its investigations, "Truth" unhesitatingly declares that the working staff of the YA stations, except those who are on exceptionally good terms with the "bosses," have never had the opportunity of rendering efficient, service to the public. ( There are no agreements of engagement and the company holds the right to pitch out any member of its staff at a moment's notice, without showing reason or cause. This has actually been done with one prominent member of the staff. Apart from the highly lucrative managerial posts and* station directorships, the staff have no guarantee of permanency. ' , In the absence of an award, the staff can be: worked ' any: >hours the' bosses dictate, which tends towards a serious form of> "sweating," while any protest against the. ever-increasing schedule of hours' is rebuffed .with the remark: "Unless you are prepared to do so, you are no good to us." In one case, a member of the staff, who had worked" over a month's overtime was actually m danger of losing three weeks' pay through indisposition, which had been caused by the long hours he was. working at the station. It is only to be expected that with the development of broadcasting, the growing list of special transmissions exacts more work from the staff; but has the company attempted to give its officers anything Mh return? No apparent effort is made to add to the staff m busy periods to -cope with'