POSTAL DEPARTMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 251, 21 September 1929, Page 13

POSTAL DEPARTMENT

DEBATE ON REPORT. LICENSES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. Speaking in the House of Representatives this week when the report on the Post and Telegraph Department was presented, Mr J. A. Nash joined with others in congratulating the department on the very excellent report presented to Parliament this year. Mr Nash continued: Dealing with tho question of licenses for motor vehicles we find that no less than 196,579 vehicles were registered during the past year. Twelve months ago the question of the third party risk was introduced, and an additional sum was charged on the license fee to really protect the driver of the car. After investigation, the amount was fixed at £1 for each license, and it was then hoped that the amount claimed during tho first year would be carefully reviewed, and an endeavour made to extend as far as possible the benefits of the scheme. It lias certainly meant that every person must now insure under the third party risk before ho or she can drive a car, and that is a splendid thing, because it is quite safe to say that not more than one-half the motor ear owners in New Zealand had previously taken out a third party risk. To-day they all are doing so, but drivers of motor vehicles are anxiously waiting for some information as to the position in regard to claims that have been made for death and accident under the third party risk as it now exists, and that information should be furnished as soon as possible. It is important that we should know at the earliest possible opportunity what the result of the first year’s operation of the third party risk has been. It will probably be shown that there is sufficient margin to cover all persons riding in a motor car, and if that can be accomplished at a cost of £1 per annum, then the Act that was placed on the Statute Book last year will have served a very good purpose indeed. COUNTRY TELEPHONES. With regard to telephones in the country districts, the Leader of the Opposition has urged the Minister to do everything possiolo for the people living in tho country to enable them to get into communication with the towns. Un one particular line, to which 1 could refer, enquiries were made as to what the cost would be for the installation of a telephone. The place was about 12 miles from tho exchange in the town. The subscriber was given to understand that the rental would be £7 7s a year. There were eight on this particular line —it was a party line—and when he received his account it was £9 Bs, or over £2 more than he was told it would cost. A little later another party wire was laid for eight persons, and as the department had the use of the poles that had been erected for the original subscribers who had been charged the full amount for the poles, the original eight subscribers were entitled to some reduction in payments. An effort was made to get a reduction for those people, but the answer was that the line did not pay. Surely that department which each year shows a huge profit could do something to help these people in the country. BROADCASTING COMPANY. “Something has been said about tho arrangements made with the Broadcasting Company. We find that that institution apaprently has a very safe business to conduct. There were 44,609 radio licenses issued last year, which meant that a sum of £66,400 was collected in fees. If we take the amount which the State is entitled to, namply 5s for each license, that leaves the sum of £55,000 for tho Broadcasting Companies. I sincerely hope that the Government will not attempt to take over the broadcasting stations of New Zealand. While the present arrangement may not give satisfaction to everyone under the existing conditions, there can be no question that it is far better to have the broadcasting stations outsido of Government control. The present contract has two years to run, and the Minister should take some action in the direction of setting up a board, to come into being when the lease ' terminates, so that some control could bo exercised oyer the programmes given over the air. If that is done, there is no doubt that we would get still better programmes. While some may think that debates should be broadcast, my opinion is that they would not be listened to with the same interest as with musical programmes. We are getting fair programmes in New Zealand at the present time. Nearly every .night lecturettes are broadcast from 2YA Wellington, and they are very interesting and are not too long. The broadcasting stations should not be taken over by the Government, but a board should be set up to control, in some measure, the programmes broadcast. With respect to the charge made for radio licenses, some consideration should bo given to those people who are not able to purchase an up-to-date wireless set, but who can afford to pay for a crystal set. Those people who are satisfied with the crystal set and the ear-phones should not be required to pay such a heavy license fee. The Minister should consider whether he cannot agree to bring the radio within the reach of ail by reducing the license fee now charged. A crystal set can be bought for 25s or 30s and in addition to that a license fee of 30s per annum is charged. That charge for crystal set licenses is out of tire question and I hope the Minister will give consideration to the matter with a view to reducing the annual license fee to 10s, if possible, in order to place the radio within the reach of a larger section of the people.