ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 224, 10 December 1927, Page 9

ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE

COMMONWEALTH HOUSE AND RADIO AGREEMENT WITH COMPANY By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. CANBERRA, Friday. Following an acrimonious debate the House, by 33 votes to 19, adopted a clause in the Bill approving of the agreement between the Commonwealth and Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd. Mr. F. Brennan said under the clause the Government was declining to give a fresh service- to a company which had done more than anything else to shatter private enterprise so far as wireless was concerned. He urged the Government snould retain control itself. Mr. Charlton argued that wireless was one of the greatest developments of the past half-century, and this was the time for the Government to take control.

Mr. Theodore said the proposed payment to the company in return for its illusory patent rights was entirely out of proportion, because through the constantly increasing number of licence-holders the company in a few years would receive almost the sum which it claimed to have paid for patents, namely, £93,000. Because of the potentialities of wireless the Government should not invest complete control in a private company for four years. When this agreement terminated it might be too 1 ,te for the Government to reap the benefits of the great pending developments. Referring to the Question of patent rights, the Prime Minister, Mr. Bruce, said members had asked why the Wireless Company did not go to Court against those dealers '. ho had infringed its patents. Had such action been taken members would have compiained and now they complained that the company would not prove the validity of its claims.. The Bill was passed.—A. and N.Z.