WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 679, 2 December 1909, Page 8

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

FOR NEW ZEALAND STEAMEHS. GOVERNMENT TAKES POWERTO ORDER INSTALLATION/ ; : A provision of tho new Shipping and: Seamen Bill; which was agreed:to in Committee in the Honsa of Representatives last night, states that: "The Governor, may from time to time by . Order-in-Council mate regulations ; requiring ships registered in New, Zealand.and carrying passengers. to ho provided with apparatus for transmitting messages by means, of wireless telegraphy, and may by ■ such regulations prescribe fines not exceeding JSO for any breach thereof by the owner .'or master of a ship." " Tho Hon. J. A. .Millar, ,in referring, to this clause, stated that a conference would bo held shortly in regard to the establishment of wireless telegraphic stations for New, Zealand and Australia. He thought that ships plying between this country and; Australia would be fitted up with wireless telegraphic apparatus in a few months. , Mr. Massey 6aid it appeared to' him that the Minister was putting the cart.before the horse. There were at present no wireless stations in New Zealand, so that it would be. useless to fit ships with tho apparatus. Tho proper thing was to compel ships to provide tho apparatus when tho stations wore erected. The Minister was talcing power which ho would not need to exercise for a very long time. ■.'.,..■' The Minister replied that if the Bill was received back from the Imperial'. authorities in twelve months they' would be lucky. The last Bill was not received back for fifteen months.. In the most favourable circumstances

the. delay-would'be nine months.' If anything was done, as he'understood.'Australia was about to d l'.„f° Now Zealand deared 'to ;d6';thd "would f bo", necessary-' to wait till; Parliament met' to ■■ j>et' ; -the necessary. legislation.. . v- ■-■'-' -Mr. Hordman (Wellington- North) : said that tna question of compelling, ships under British ;law to carry wireless telegraphic apparatus had been considered by the. last Shipping Conference, at .which Australia and New Zealand ; wererepresented. Tho matter'was referred to ■ l6 j B ,°?l d ili i^ ade ~ who '- l»>lieved,,-con-eluded .that the time was nob yet ripe for pass-' ■}?£' U \ « «> m P el ' sh !ps, subject -to the. law of Great .Britain to carry -wireless- -.tolegraphio apparatus.'. If that was-so,-the -pro-' posal ;seemed rather prematurean .New ZeaSwT l h « shippiiig was not one-hun- & \W? oi K™-. 0 ' G«at Britain, nf ar^ d 1 14 ] ra A trua that Board' of Trade had declared that the time was not fw, T £° TOason .™s. he believed, • that tw .? : or . three,'systems of wireless :te egraphy. under . investigation ;in Great Briw r ■ rco .. m had >' station,' but, there if i^! en m s r e developments 'which had not yet been made public. He -thought that' the Pe/fe«Hy..safe. It would proven! fo? leli° stations were equipped no.'one would ask shin annTfn 0 inStal :f h V p P aratus: «'would ? on& tfi? L tO ,. T€ss ? ls trad >g- a given distance from the coast .and carrying, passengers. -Lie Prime Minister> urged the necessity nf putting the proposal through/ Authol™ given three sessions ago By ParlSnf for establishing a system %f wireless tSegraphv' A meeting to bo hold in; MelbS on pS b M 16 *,, at hi 6? representativts 'of the £ aolfi .°„ I ? lands . the: Australian States andNew Zealand-which had appointed a reD?* sentobve-were tobepreseuCVlhere had been ■a movement for some time with the obiect of establishing a system wireless : telegraphy to cover th ßj whole of the Padfio^lslaSS^TOhad not subscribed to the.proposal which had ; been made,.because it was morlimportont that this country should wait: for; the latet develop Z the ™ $F te ' eff f ap^-andtha t ™™* on the eve of great developments was bevond question. Mr.lfarconi and Mr. Tesla of Amenca had both informed him personal?v within the last few-months that during this year there would bo a very great- advance i'i n connection with the system: fie wanted to h» -ready for that development, the chiet object 1« people, travelling by: should be able to leepjn: touch with the: land, and that their safety should be ensured? Unfesi the system was applied to steamers,- half ih advantagq would bo lost. Ho-would not be at f,Pvt SU S Sed t0 ,i ee this country, within the next twelve months, going in'for a system of .wireless telegraphy by -which wo. could com-'-.inumcato with Australia, 'day or' nioht At.present Oommunication obtained for 800 miles by.day and 1200 miles at night, but a system was wanted .that' would.extend across .the ocean the same by day as by night