SUNDAY BROADCAST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1938, Page 4

SUNDAY BROADCAST

REFERENCES TO POLITICIANS ACTION LIKELY IN HOUSE TODAY PRIME MINISTER DECLINES TO COMMENT (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Almost the sole topic of conversation in Parliament Buildings yesterday was a broadcast from station 2ZB on Sunday evening by the controller of the Commercial Broadcasting Service, Mr C. G. Scrimgeour. The address contained numerous references to politicians, as well as to members of the National Party outside the House of Representatives, and it can be stated with reasonable certainty that the Opposition will endeavour to have the matter fully ventilated when the House meets today. The exact form in which members of the Opposition will make their protest against Mr Scrimgeour’s broadcast is not yet known, but it will probably be determined at a caucus of the party to be held this morning. There were only four members of the Opposition in Wellington yesterday, the Rt Hon G. W. Forbes (Hurunui), Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo), and Mr W. A. Bodkin (Central Otago), and Sir Apirana Ngata (Eastern Maori), but the majority of the remaining members are returning this morning. The Leader of the Opposition, the Hon A. Hamilton, who has been spending the weekend at Invercargill, is not likely to return to Wellington until timorrow.

The most likely course is a motion for the adjournment of the House at the start of today’s sitting. This course can be taken for the discussion of a definite matter of urgent public importance, and it rests with Mr Speaker to determine whether the question comes within this category. In normal circumstances, the matter could be fully ventilated by members in the Financial Debate, which is at present in progress, but 15 Opposition members have already taken part in this discussion, and are not entitled to speak again. This position could be overcome by the moving of an amendment to the motion which gives rise to the Financial Debate. There has been no indication of the attitude of the Government toward Mr Scrimgeour’s broadcast. At the conclusion of a lengthy meeting of the Cabinet last evening, the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, declined to make any comment on the matter. In response to an inquiry he stated that the matter had not been discussed by the Cabinet. -