Bringing Parliament Clearly Before Listeners

Radio Record, Volume X, Issue 3, 24 July 1936, Page 3

Bringing Parliament Clearly Before Listeners

To you, perhaps, Parliament may be nothing more than a place that helps fill columns-in the daily papers, and from which emanates occasionally some particularly unpleasant piece of news about increased taxation or ten per cent. cuts. But New Zealand is going to be very much more ‘"Parlia-ment-conscious" in the near future. The Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) is anxious to see everyone in the country taking a more active interest in legislation-and to this end he has arranged regular broadcasts of Parliamentary. debates, But such expressions as "the other place" and "division bells" may leave the listener a little in the dark, and

so there has been published "The Listeners’ Guide to Parliament on the Air," and written by Charles 4&. Wheeler, a well-known journalist of English training who has spent many years in our Parliamentary Press Gailery. In this guide, which also includes a seating plan of the House and photographs of all the members, Mr. Wheeler has adopted a pleasing narrative style which makes the guide both interesting and pleasant reading. The principal object of the book is. of course, to make the listener understand more readily what he hears broadcast, but it gives, at the same time, amusing anecdotes of politicians, past and present. There is a foreword by the Prime Minister, in which he says: "Books about Parliament are not usually written in the popular style of the ‘Listeners’ Guide to Parliament on the Air,’ for it has’ been assumed that the man-in-t? »street is not greatly concerned with its privileges and its powers, and its day-to-day deliberations, But these are changed times.... We cannot bring the people to Parliament, but, through the medium of radio broadcasting, we can bring Parliament to the people, so that at their own firesides they maylisten to the most important discussions of questions vitally affecting their own lives." "The Listeners’ Guide to Parliament on the Air.’ Charles BH, Wheeler. National Magazines, Our copy from the publishers,