MAYOR BROADCASTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 June 1939, Page 4

MAYOR BROADCASTS

OPENING OF MOBILE STATION PLUNKET APPEAL & DIGGERS’ MARKET. MR J. ROBERTSON ALSO SPEAKS. Station SZB, the mobile unit at present in .Masterton, opened its local broadcasting programmes on Saturday night with a short address by the Mayor, Mr T. Jordan. The station is located on a siding just north of the Lincoln Road crossing. “Good evening, everybody. I think that is the way everyone starts when they are commencing a radio talk,” said Mr Jordan, who went on to state K that it was a unique experience to him / and he wished to thank Messrs Lau- < renson and Mackay for giving him the opportunity to broadcast. Mr Jordan said he had just been shown over this mobile unit of broadcasting and he had found it exceedingly natty and compact. Stating that he understood the tour was a goodwill one, he said the experiment would no doubt be the means of gaining very valuable information. He was sorry that the unit was merely an experiment, as he thought some good use might be made of it. It was a case almost of hail and farewell, as he understood the station was to be dismantled on its return to Wellington. A travelling politician might buy it and make some use of it. Mr Jordan said he believed the unit was the beginning of new developments and he was pleased to have the opportunity of being in at the end of the first round.

Mr Jordan went on to state that three or four weeks ago he had commended to the public the Plunket Soc - iety appeal and he had asked the public to show its appreciation of the society’s wonderful work by making donations to the Truby King Memorial Fund. He was not at all proud of the response made so far and he again commended the appeal to the public and expressed the hope that the result would be in keeping with Wairarapa’s good name. Mr Jordan also drew attention to the Diggers’ Market to be held by the Returned Soldiers in the Municipal Hall on July 14. with the object of providing funds for the entertainment of Australian comrades, when they came here next year. All knew how royally the New Zealanders were treated when they visited Australia. “Surely we should do something to assist our men to entertain the Australians when ’ they come here,” said Mr Jordan. Mr J. Robertson, M.P., who was unable to be present on Saturday, spoke from the station last night. After expressing his regret at being unable to broadcast on the previous night, he went on to state that he had attended the funeral of a pioneer of the Kaiparoro district on Saturday afternoon. He paid a tribute to the fine pioneering spirit ,of the older people of the community and said even now there were plenty of opportunities for the younger people to carry on the pioneering torch. Mr Robertson congratulated those responsible jon the excellence of the unit.