Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 2 July 1934, page 10


WIRELESS STATION

Opened at Broken Hill.

MR. PARKHILL ON DEPARTMENTAL

POLICY.

BROKEN HILL, Sunday.

The new B class wireless station, 2BH, was

officially opened last night by the Postmaster-General (Mr. Parkhill), who spoke from Syd-ney. The speech was transmitted over the land line through Melbourne and Adelaide. Other speakers included Alderman Barnes (Mayor of Broken Hill) and Mr. A. Blakeley, Federal member for the district, who spoke from Canberra. The station is owned by a Sydney company.

Mr. Parkhill said that there were nearly 600,000 wireless licence holders in Austra-lia, representing 40 per cent. of the total dwellings able to receive the wireless pro-

grammes.

The improved financial conditions, Mr. Parkhill said, have made it possible to recom-mence the construction scheme, and seven new stations would be brought into service during the next 12 months. The seven new stations would be located to serve regions, as follow:-Townsville (Queensland), Grafton (New South Wales), Gippsland (Victoria), Northern Tasmania, south-western area of Western Australia, and the western area of Vic-toria, and the central districts of New South

Wales.

After congratulating the proprietors of the new Broken Hill station, the Postmaster-Gene-ral said: "The only criticism the department has so far received is that insufficient money has been spent on the broadcasting services. There is a definite reason for this. The Gov-ernment decided, in view of the depression, that the amount spent from the wireless in-come of the Post Office should be limited, and the remainder contributed to the consolidated revenue. If this course had not been adopted, and if the entire wireless revenue of the Post Office had been spent on the services, then the corresponding shortage in the national re-venue would have had to be made up by taxa-tion. This would have been the subject of even more severe criticism than that which is directed against the Post Office for insuffi-cient spending. In the circumstances the gene-ral public will admit that the wisest course is being followed in providing at least adequate expenditure for the extension of the wireless

service."