Controversy!

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 437, 7 November 1947, Page 18

Controversy!

T last we have been granted permission to view that Shangri-La of radio malcontents, the Controversial Session, which like many another promised land is rather less promising at close quarters -and perhaps I should add, at first sight. Station 2YA, the other Monday, presented a Discussion on Consumer Co-operation, a nice long session in which two hard-headed business men debated with two Co-op supporters the merits of the Hutt Valley scheme, dissected to make a listeners’ holiday. The level of discussion, I felt, was not as high as it could have been, partly owing to the lack of experience and consequent mike-fright of the four disputants. There were several unpregnant silences, many a promising sentence died in mid-air without the coup de grace of its predicate, and the gallant chairman bridged the gaps’ as best he could by leaping gaily to other "people’s conclusions. But these are minor matters, and by the time 2YA’s 40th discussion takes the air it is possible that we shall have bred a race of Joads and Campbells. Mean-

while let 2YA carry on the good work, for better a dish of unsalted herbs where controversy is than a stalled ox without.