THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 37, 28 March 1930, Page 4

THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

BY means of radio, intimate contact has already been established between His Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, and the people of New Zealand. The same observation applies to Her Excellency, Lady Bledisloe. The broadcast of the civic welcome extended in the Wellington Town Hall on Thursday evening enabled listeners throughout the Dominion to participate in what was a definite tribute to both the position and the occupants. New Zealand in the past has been fortunate in the possession of a number of notable figures at Government House. The late Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, established the prestige of the office on a very high plane, and won in the hearts of the people a regard and esteem that will long endure. It may be said that the success in the personal field which attended Sir Charles Fergusson has definitely contributed to the welcome extended to Lord Bledisloe as his suceessor. Lord Bledisloe comes with an established reputation as an agricultural authority, and in that field we anticipate that his tenure of office will be productive of definite national good to the country in the stimulus certain to be given both to more scientific production on the land, and to the appreciation of the cause of farming and the lot of farmers by city people. In that expectation a welcome was assured Lord Bledisloe. By the graciousness of manner which characterises both Lord and Lady Bledisloe, that welcome on general lines has already been intensified into a personal regard which assures definite success to the distinguished occupants of Government House. Listeners, we think, will be grateful that they were enabled, so soon after the arrival of the Vice-Regal party, to make their acquaintance THE PUBLIC TASTE AND RADIO STANDARDS. SIR JOHN REITH, Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation, recently read a paper before the Institute of Public. Administration upon the Broadcasting Service. In this authoritative analysis of the service and the principles sought to be applied in its conduct, Sir John Reith made a very significant utterance on

the problem of "giving the public what it wants." Sir John Reith — from his position of experience and eminence made this observation: "To set out to give the public what it wants, .as ‘the saying is, is a dangerous and foolish policy, involving almost always an under-estimate of the public’s intelligence and a continual lowering of standards." These words will repay careful consideration. Readers dre aware that there has been a continual urge "to give the public what it wants." The fact that always surprises us is the prescience and omnipotence which presumes to understand what the public, in its innumerable divisions, classifications and groups, wants. We prefer the standard established by Sir John Reith, and in its field also by the New Zealand Radio Broadcasting Company. That standard, we take it, is to aim at giving through the radio stations | a high’ standard of service in both music, literature and speech. Regard, of course, must be had to public taste, but that regard must be tempered by a definite regard for literary and artistic standards, ay