RADIO SERVICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1941, Page 4

RADIO SERVICE

! QUESTION OF LICENCE FEES MOVE FOR REDUCTION FAILS. ANIMATED DISCUSSION IN HOUSE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ’ WELLINGTON. This Day. In the House of Representatives yesterday there was an animated discussion on the Estimates for the broadcasting services, and two amendments by the Opposition were defeated. The first was that the vote be reduced by £lO with the object of testing the feeling of the House on a proposal that the licence fee of 25s be reduced. This was heavily defeated by the Government, as was also an amendment that the vote be reduced by £5 as a protest against the advertising of certain medicinal preparations. The Acting-Prime Minister, Mr Nash, said that the New Zealand fee was not the highest in the world. In South Africa the charge was 30s a year, in the Netherlands East Indies it was 455, and in Russia 48s. Referring to the contention of Mr Holland that accumulated funds totalled £BBO,OOO, Mr Nash, said that the actual figure was some £340,000 less than this amount. Buildings and equipment had been bought, out of the £BBO,OOO. and. in normal times more of the money would have been used to provide new stations. The Minister said he would be glad to have the money invested in the war account. Several other members on both sides contributed to the debate, Mr Carr

(Government, Timaru), holding that radio was the cheapest form of entertainment for the public. Mr Goosman (Opposition, Waikato), drew attention to the fact that a profit of £170,000 had been made on an investment of £250,000. He said that had a private firm made such a profit, Government members would have been the first to accuse it of exploiting the public. I