EMPIRE WIRELESS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18409, 16 June 1925, Page 11

EMPIRE WIRELESS.

STATEMENT BY POST-MASTER-GENERAL.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

(TOOK OUR OHK COR»K»PONDBST.) LONDON, April 30. At a ■.recent meeting of the Council of the Empire Press Union, Lord lliddell proposed tho accompanying resolution, which Avas seconded by. Sir Roderick Jones:—"That a .'request be addressed to the Postmaster-General for a full statement as to what is .now being 'done to provide an adequate and efficient wireless telegraph service for. the British Empire, and (1) when the new station being erected at Rugby will bo in operation, (2) what channels of communication it will provide between England and.the British Dominions, India, and the Colonies, (3) what charges will bo made for transmission of commercial and Press messages; (4) are the baam' or short wave stations in England'in course of erection and when is the system likely, to be in operation; (o) -when will stations in tho Imperial chain in the Dominions be able to communicate with new stations in England." Mr P. Hurd, M.P., proposed and Si;- H. Brittaiiv M.P., seconded the following resolution:—"That the Post-master-General be asked' what steps have been taken to bring about unity of faction with the Dominions in respect of wireless • communications through the establishment of a Wireless Advisory Board representative of tho whole Empire, or-otherwise." Both were to be brought to the notice of the Postmaster-General.

The Beam System. The Fostmaster-General, through Sir E. Murray (Secretary to the Post Of; lice), has in reply, sent the attached summary of recent developments in connexion with Empire wireless:— Until approximately a year ago it was the policy, both of the Imperial Government and of the Dominion and. Indian Governments, to provide.lmperial wirelsss eommiuiicatkm by means of high-power stations, and in accordance with this policy the Imperial Governvide a high-power station at Rugby, ment decided* in March, 1923, to prowhich is now in course 'of erection. Arrangements wero also made by the Dominion Governments for the provision of similar stations.

.'Die Marconi Company, subsequently produced what is known as.' the "Beam" system, which they claimed would provide adequate services for a limited number of hours per day at a, much smaller capital expenditure. The late Government decided to give the system a trial, and the Governments of Australia, Canada, India and South Africa subsequently adopted the same policy and agreed to" arrange for' the provision of corresponding communicating stations. An agreement was accordingly made with the Marconi Company m July, 1924, for tho erection of a beam station in this country for communication with Canada, with provision for its extension, if so desired, for similar Beam services with South Africa, Australia, and India. The company, however, subsequently came to tho conclusion th.'tt, for technical reasons, tho original scheme of concentrating all tho- sending _ units on ona

site-and all' the' deceiving units' on.an-other,-was. impracticable,•■and a supplementary agreement■•' was concluded in November. A number of sites for the stations have boon surveyed and rejected mainly on technical grounds, but ultimately" sites for the stations for communication with Canada and South Africa .'which satisfy the technical requirements have been secured at Bodmin and Bridgwater. These sites have, bean handed, over to tho company, and tho stations are due, under 'contract, to bo completed by October next; Sites havo also been selected for the stations for communication with India and Australia, and the Marconi Company have intimated that they are satisfactory. Negotiations for purchase Uricler- the contract these stations arc due to be completed within nine months of the sites being handed over to the-company. The corresponding stations in the •' Dominions are in various stages of -progress. Tho latest reports, indicate 'that the 'South"African .arid Canadian stations will be completed about the same time as tho corresponding stations-here. The stations in India'*" and... Australia,' according to tlio latest reports, will probably not bo ready before the beginning of■next year. . Tho high-power station at llugby is* expected to be completed about November next. Invitations have bscu issued to the Dominions' and India to nominate representatives to serve on a permanent committee, under the chairmanship of the Assistant Postmaster-GenaTal, to advise, on the practical details of the working of the Imperial wireless services, including, such matters as the routing of messages and tariffs. The Canadian, South African, and Indian Governments have accepted.this invitation, but replies have not yet been received from the • Commonwealth and New Zealand Governments.' 1 The Post-master-General hopes that through the -medium of this committee it will be possible to obtain general agreement between the Imperial Government and the Dominions concerned as to the services to bo conducted from the several stations, and the charges for different clnpses of messages, but, pending the delTberations of the committee, he does not feel at liberty to make any detailed statement.