EMPIRE WIRELESS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1025, 14 January 1911, Page 3

EMPIRE WIRELESS

4 AND MARCONI CRAMS. THE EVE OF GREAT CHANGES. Tho Empire wireless chain seems to be oil the eve of great development in this part of tho world. The linkinc up of tho Pacific Islands with New Zealand and Australia, as proposed in tho schemo outlined by the Pacific Radio Company, seems likely now to bo carried out very soon through the cooperation of tho several governments interested in the welfare of the Pacific. Tho New Zealand and Australian Governments are said to havo»adoptcd the recommendations of the Wireless Conference appointed io consider tho proposal. Tho Imperial Government has now the matter undev consideration, and, in view of. the national importance of the projected scrvico for defence purposes, reliable means of wireless communication must ero long be established throughout the Pacific. The scheme provides for high-power installations at Doubtless Bay, Sydney, Fiji, and Ocean Island, with smaller stations at the New Hebrides and Solomons. Later, stations will bo installed at the Tongan and Cook Islands, and these will enable the Talutian group of islands to link into the chain.

Apart from its commercial advantages tho wireless service in tho Pacific presents features which should not be ignored. Owing to New Zealand's isolated position, wireless communication would' be of tho greatest importance for its defence, and the more the means available for communicating with the outside world and its mercantile nnd naval shipping in the time of war, tho greater would be tho general protection and security. Under present circumstances _ a hostilo fleet or privateers could hide among the islands and make raids on tho country, besides destroying the cables and attacking shipping, but with tho establishment of a. complete wiroless servico between New Zealand, Australia, and tho Pacific Islands to communicate also with shipping this danger would bo reduced to a minimum, as it would then be impossiblo for the u hereabouts of an enemy to be lonp; unreported, and it would be impossiblo then to isolate New Zealand, even though the cables were destroyed. Much has been said and written about various wireless achievements 'in other parts of tho world, and it may therefore bo of interest to know something about the Marconi Company s wireless system and operations. i-i , services have been established throughout the Empire by Britis.i enterprise, and tho system has been almost entirely developed in England since IS9G, when Marconi discovered how to transmit intelligible sig,ri mean ? °f tile Hertzian waves. Ino operations of tho company for tho development of its system has had ii T?°. r • a s,I PP QI "t and interests of tho British Admiralty, War Office, arid Post Ofiico officials in carrying cut experiments, with tho result that tho Marconi service is now either established, or being established, throughout the Empire, and is operated ill all parts of the world by British subjects, over 1000 men being engaged in carrying on the work. .Tile British Government has paid nearly £100,000 for uso of tho Marconi invention, and is still paying some thousands aunrally for royalty. Tho Board of Trade and Lloyd's aro also paying for tho usd of tho service. Xhey Marconi Company lias spent over £000,000 in developing tho system. Tho uso of the Marconi apparatus on tho Atlantic passenger ships conimcuced early in 1900, and was adopted by tho British Navy in 1903. Besides being installed on the British warships, even to tho tiny submarine, it is installed on nearly 500 of tho principal mail and-'passenger stcamcrn of tho world, including tho fleets of Ml British shipping, companies. Fifty or moro Austrian and German mail steamers, including all their great Atlantic liners, aro equipped with Marconi installations. All tho Italian, Dutcli, American; and Fre nob Atlantic liners aro equipped. Tho system is also largely used by tho Italian, Portuguese, Greek, ( Brazilian, Chilean, and Argentine Governments.

.In tlie. Southern Hemisphere Orient and. P.. and -O. mail ships,--the Union Castlo line of South Africa, tho Aberdeen, Holt, arid Whito Star lines aro now all equipped, and the' New Zoaland ships ol tho Whito Star Company are to bo fitted when tho Dominion Government's land stations are erected. In Australia, tho Adelaide Steam Ship Company, Howard Smith', M'lhvraith, and M'Eachorn lines have decided to have their passenger ships equipped, and tho new Australian war vessels also carry the Marconi instalEvery additional ship installed increases the facilities for intercommunication • with shipping, and, when all v tho ships trading from NewZealand to England aro equipped with tho Marconi system, constant communication will be maintained during the voyago from England to New Zealaml through cither the land or ship stations _en _ route. Land stations for communicating with shipping are now being installed by the. Marconi Company at Tenerifte, Las Palmas, Barcelona, the Coeos Islands, Hong-Kong, and Singapore; also, on tho Ea"st Coast of Africa. Tho Homo Government are also installing three Marconi'station? on the Fiji Islands. The South African Government has adopted the system, and tho company are installing a number of. stations round the coast from Capo Town to Durban. Tho Canadian Government has 27 Marconi stations in operation, and has also paid a subsidy of £16.000 towards the cost of establishing the Marconi high-power station at Gb.co Bay, Canada, by means of. which a commercial trans-Atlnntic servico is maintained between Clifton Island and Canada, Vover a distance of 2400 miles, many thousands of words boing transmitted each way daily. Tho practical advantage of wireless telegraphy can be appreciated from the fact that five millions ill property and some thousands of liveswere reported to, bo saved by its uso in 1909. It might bo mentioned that arrangements have been made to fit up tho Antarctic ship Terra Nova with a powerful Marconi wireless station on her return to New Zealand, and it is anticipated that' wireloss communication will bo established on her return to the Antarctic regions between Captain Scott's ■ station and New Zealand. This should provo. a very interesting experiment, and will materially increaso public interest in Captain Scott's work. It is the intention of the Marconi Company, if sufficient encouraaenicnt is forthcoming in New Zealand, "to establish complete works for the manufacture of wireless equipment for laud and ship stations, and also to open local schools for tho training of engineers and operators for working their system.