EMPIRE WIRELESS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17990, 6 February 1924, Page 8

EMPIRE WIRELESS.

THE NEW ZEALAND. STATION. SITE ON MOUNT PLEASANT OFFERED. One of the vitally important matters discussed at the Imperial Conference was the necessity for a chain of highpower wireless stations encircling the British Empire. As soon as ho landed back in New Zealand from Britain Mr Massey laid special emphasis on the obligation the Dominion is under to participate in the 6cheme. It is interesting to note that respecting the proposed high-power station, Mr H. S. Hobday, of Christchurch, on behalf of the Morten estate, has offered a free site on Mount Pleasant, which offers special advantages for the establishment of such a station.

In mentioning the subject to a representative of "Tno Press" yesterday, Mr Hobday said that he had been asked by several interested m the subject of Empire wireless communication to submit a site on Mount Pleasant to the Government. In doing so they had spoken of the special advantages possessed by Mount Pleasant —its vicinity to the city, facility of 'access, freedom from electrical influences, and tho uninterrupted path existing for wireless communication. Acting on these representations Mr Hobday wrote to Mr MasBey on January 31st, offering the Government free any available suitable site that the postal authorities liked to select on the estate. Under date February Ist, Mr Massey replied to Mr Hobday as follows: — "I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 31st ultimo in which you offer a site for a, wireless broadcasting station at Mount Pleasant. I have to thank you for your offer and shall be glad to communicate with the Honourable the Postmaster-General in regard to it. 1 shall write to you again as soon as the matter has had consideration." In the course of an interview on his arrival from England at Auckland, Mr Massey said: "We must have a highpower station. If we are going to keep in line with Empire progress New Zealand must make provision for an efficient service. It is essential that w should keep abreast of the times. I had a long talk with the permanent head of the British Postal Department in London, and I intend to place a definite proposal before my colleagues in Cabinet at an early date." Replying to a question Mr 'Massey eaid that it was then too early to mention the locality in which the prospective wireless station would bo established. Explaining the "object of tho scheme he eaid that the intention was to establish, as quickly as possible, an efficient Imperial service of wireless communication as a practical Btep towards the development of Imfterial resources and the promotion ol mperial trade. The aerial towers of the proposed wireless station will be 800 ft in height, and the estimated cost of construction of the whole station- will be about £500,000. As indicated, Mount Pleasant offers several special advantages. The highest point 1 " on the estate is 1637 ft, and a well-formed, easy'graded road gives access from the ChristchurclwSumnei road almost the whole of the' distance to the highest point. . There would be, consequently, comparatively little difficulty in conveying material to the site of the wireless station. From the 1637 ft elevation tho beholder looks almost sheer down upon Lyttelton, the descent on the Lyttelton side being more abrupt—in some places almost precipitous —as compared with the ascent from the Christchurch-Sumner road. There are, of course, higher points on tho Port Hills—for instance, Cass Peak, 1784 f t; Cooper's Knobs, ■l3Boft; and Mount Herbert, ,3014ft—but there are none that are so accessible as Mount Pleasant, and accessibility is a matter •of considerable importance when provision has to be made for the transport of material*