BRITISH WIRELESS STATIONS

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1585, 31 October 1912, Page 7

BRITISH WIRELESS STATIONS

MARCONI CONTRACT INQUIRY,

By Teleirraph-Prois Assoclation-Oopyrisrht London, October 29. In connection with tho contract between the British Post Office and the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company, under which the company undertakes, for the sum of .£6O 000 each, to erect Imperial wireless stations, Mr. C. A. King, C.8., Secretary to the Post Office, in testifying before the Mhrconi Parliamentary Committee, admitted that tho Marconi Company will Teceive ,£30,000 annually, while the Poulsen syndicate had offered to construct the stations for .£30,000 each, without further qost. The Government, ho continued, had not been satisfied that the Po-alsen Company would be able to do tho work, or it would have accepted the offer. If tho Government had waited twelve months the Marconi Company might have made other contracts, preventing the completion of the agreement with Britain.

THE MARCONI CONTRACT. An official announcement in March last stated that Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company had received from the British Postmaster-General an acceptance of its terms for the construction of all the longdistance wireless stations which will be required within tho next few years for tho Imperial scheme for establishing a chain oi wireless telegraphic stations between the United Kingdom, tho Mediterranean, India, Australia, and New ZeaThe company was to proceed forthwith with the construction of the following stations: —London, Egypt, Aden, Bangalore (India), Pretoria, and Singapore; and it was anticipated that the construction of others would be undertaken in the iminediato future. Tho stations will be operated by tho company for the account of tho Government for the first six months, and thereafter by the Government. The company mil receive a payment of .£60,000 for each station, exclusive of site, foundations for _ machinery and buildings, and tho buildings themselves, which, if bo required, will be constructed by the company at cost price for the account of tho Governments conTho'terms further'.'-provide;that tho. company shall receive 10 per" cent. the gross receipts of all the long-distance stations so orected for the term of the agreement, which is twent ( v-eight years from the date of tho opening to service of tho first three stations. The Government will have power to end the agreement at the expiration of eighteen years, but in that event they would cease to have the right to uso any of the company's patented processes or machinery. The contract would require to bo ratified by Parliament, and the erection of the stations at Bangalore and in South Africa, would be subject to the formal approval of tho Indian .and South African Governments. ,