TRADE UNIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 March 1943, Page 4

TRADE UNIONS

CASTIGATED BY PRIME MINISTER RECENT RESOLUTIONS REGARDING BROADCASTING CONTROL. CALLED REGRETTABLE & EVEN CONTEMPTIBLE.. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. In an interview published in the official organ of the Labour Party, the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, speaking in reference to resolutions passed by some trade unions and organisations in regard to the Government’s recent action concerning the administration of the Commercial Broadcasting Service, a number of which included an attack on the Minister in Charge of Broadcasting (Mr Wilson said: “If any one thinks that resolutions, whether spontaneous or specially organised, containing unthinking, absurd and clamorous demands for the abdication of Government authority over any Department, and embodying an unfair, unjust and totally unwarranted attack on Ministers, can possibly carry any weight with the Government, they are hopelessly mistaken. The attacks recently made upon Mr Wilson, Minister in Charge of- Broadcasting, under the guise of resolutions, were particularly unjust, unfair and altogether regrettable. In some instances they were even contemptible. I wish to make it plain that in the recent incident, now satisfactorily adjusted by all concerned, Mr Wilson had the full support of myself and Cabinet throughout. I and my Cabinet colleagues have always found Mr Wilson to be a thoroughly reliable, trustworthy and efficient Minister, who carries our complete confidence. The position of any Minister will not be prejudiced by unthinking attacks on him because of administrative actions which may not be popular with some sections of the people. It is the clear duty of a Government to listen courteously to, and weigh carefully, all reasonable representations made to it, and the present Government invariably does that, but it will not be influenced in the slightest degree by, far less spinelessly yield to, uninformed and prejudiced clamour.”