NEW RADIO STATION

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20955, 7 November 1939, Page 9

NEW RADIO STATION

REASON FOR ERECTION MINISTER’S STATEMENT REPLY TO HON. A. HAMILTON (Special to Times) WELLINGTON, Monday Reasons why the Government had decided to erect a new building in Auckland to house the commercial broadcasting station there were given this evening by the actingMinister in charge of Broadcasting, the Hon. F. Jones, when his attention was drawn to criticism of the project by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton. The Health Department, said Mr Jones, had been persistent in its representations that the building at present occupied by IZB was unsuitable and unfit for occupation. Various improvements had been made from the health point of view, but even with these the building was not up to the standard required by the Health Department. The broadcasting authorities were therefore compelled to rent a suitable building, or alternatively purchase or erect a new one. There was no escape from this course. Every endeavour was first made to find suitable alternative accommodation, without success. The site on which the new building was to be erected was a valuable one and it had been decided to erect a four-storey structure. The two top storeys, however, would be used by other State departments. “It is interesting,” remarked Mr Jones, “to find the Leader of the Opposition is a new convert to the Government’s policy of erecting houses for the people.”