The Radio Problem

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 6, 21 August 1931, Page 7

The Radio Problem

-_-_-- Report by Associated Chambers of Commerce RECENTLY a letter was forwarded te the Postmaster-General by the secretary of the Associated Chambers: of » Commerce on the radio situation. Listeners possibly have been surprised at the intrusion of this body into radio matters, and the nature of its comments, but that surprise will be deepened when it is known that this Une usual action was apparently inspired by the more unusual course of a request for such action having been made from official sources-either ministerial ‘or, departmental-at least, that is the statement emanating from the Associated Chambers. ; On this point .the following letter has been forwarded to the Postmaster-Ger eral by the Radio Broadcasting Company :- . The Hon. J. D. Donald, Postmaster: General, Os Parliamentary Buildings. "... Wellington. Boe, Sir,-We have been advised that 4 committee representing the executive of the Associated Chambers has béen requested by the Government to report on the broadcasting problem. fey At the telephoned request of the sec--retary, we forwarded them complete copies of the company’s balance-sheets covering the period of its operations. We were further requested to give our authority for the Post and Telegraph Department to disclose to the commities such confidéntial. affairs of the ecompany other than that disclosed in the balance-sheets. This we declined to do, our reason being that, it was not our right to suggest what the department should or should not do-that right belonging exclusively to the Government. We are not aware of any information the department could supply such .as would usefully supplement the full aud complete details set out in our balancesheets; but you. will realise that even if there was such information, it is not for the company to instruct the department in regard to the use to be made of it. " We have perused the letter addressed to you by the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand, and it appears to us that there is a possibility of some of the statements therein being understood to imply that the company’s financial position has not been fully and freely disclosed. So that you and your colleagues shall be fully advised as to the position and as to our reason for declining to give the authority asked for by the committee, we are therefore writing you direct, and shall be glad if you will be good enough to place the facts before Cabinet, together with the information that the company’s books at all times have been fresly available for official inspection and that every item of expenditure has been open to official audit. Yours respectfully, THE RADIO BROADCASTING COY.,, OF N.Z., LTD.