“NOT SUITABLE” FOR BROADCASTING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 125, 17 August 1927, Page 13

“NOT SUITABLE” FOR BROADCASTING

FARMERS’ UNION AIMS P.M.G. TAKEN TO TASK Little over three months ago the then president of the Auckland provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers' U nion, Mr. C. C. Munro, at the request of his union and with the sanction of the local officials of the IYA broadcasting station, prepared an address on the aims and objects of the Farmers’ Union. The address was never broadcasted. It was returned as “not suitable.” Correspondence has passed between the Radio Company and the Post-master-General and the union, but the latter gained little satisfaction. The reply from the Postmaster-General, which came before .last evening’s meeting of the executive read, inter alia: “The matter contained in the address is considered as not suitable for broadcasting.” No exception could be taken to the address on political grounds, for, as read to the meeting last evening, it was a mild and well-put-together resume of the aims and objects of the union.. In all, it took little more than five minutes to read, and merely touched on agricultural banking, the need for cheaper money, and other questions of vital importance to the man on the land. There was nothing which could be termed contentious by the most reasonable man. Mr. IT. M. Rushworth considered that in view of the fact that the president had been put to considerable trouble in the compilation of the address, the Postmaster-General’s reply was most unsatisfactory. Mr. Munro spoke on similar lines. He had only been carrying out the wishes of his executive, and when the station had agreed to take it he considered the union was entitled to a more satisfactory reason for its subsequent rejection. “It is an insult to the intelligence of the community,” said Mr. A. N. Macky, referring to the company’s action. “We are not a body “of “noodles,” and are not likely to take this sort of thing lying down.” Other members agreed that there was no contentious argument in the address, and that the union had been entitled to better treatment. It was decided to inform the Post-master-General that his reply was considered unsatisfactory.