CABLES & WIRELESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1638, 3 January 1913, Page 5

CABLES & WIRELESS.

AN INTERVIEW. COMMONWEALTH P.M.G. HERE. PURPOSE OP VISIT. !i" . Yesterday the Hon. C, E. FrazM, Post-' master-General of tho Commonwealth of Australia, arrived in Wellington by the Aoraflgi, and will remain in ; .the Poriiin-, loii until the end of tho month. Ho is acoampanied by his wire. Mr. and Mrs. JjTazor were mot and wolcomcd oil arrival by Sir. W. R. Morris (Secretary tO Dcpaftment),Mr. Orchardson (Chict Telegraph Engineer), and Mr. R. inggs (Assistant Publio Sei vice Commissioner). , . Mr. Prazerhas oomo tb'.NW' Zealand w lTf h U .? n . busiMM ' " nd w iH cont*L « • m r<, 3 ni o«t<ir-Gciierol of the Dominion (Hon. R.' H. Rhodes) upon 0 °t in .which. Australia and New_ Zealand are; considered to: have common interests.'

' The Main Quistion-Wirelms, lm l n r 'ho-Commonwealth had wrriod out tho installation, of ■" wireJess, Mf. Frazor.'said that his ornment 'had ' taken such step:), in am! ray • putting' ganga t 0 ork .w;*- P < ? ,arine - p , !ant - as alionvjd: it■ to ?r» lt„ lPa '°.^ Ctl?l i' cllng ! tho wst .of AusirpJia with sixteen stations bol'oro tho to nrL™ 1 ]" 1, 'f? 13 ;!, 11 "¥• to proceed with the oreetion oi a highwnT 6 L lT'l 41 !- ? Darwin. 'Aiii point will be able to link up with system through the station at Singapore, _ In tho casa oi, tho ordinary.stations," Mr. I'razer continued, "it has not been considered , necessary, to employ ' high masts usM in connection with the. lonedistanco stations. Tho system adopted by Australia, of ■ dispensing with : tho 1 masts' m connection , with the.: loir-power • stations, has IteeH found to wOric in an eminently satisfactory. way. Tho equipment for the whole of our stations has been, made in Australia.- 1 • - "Wireless communications between Australia and Aow Zealand," Mr. Frazer . remarked, "aro carried on by means of the Sydney station, which is capable of sending a messago over a distance of ■ 125(1 mileS by day or night:. The.nuostion of further communication: by wireless between Australia and New, Zealand will bo tlio subJect of discussion between Mr. Rhodes and myself. : •. , "As' to shipping, it is provided ill our Navigation Act tout all steamers carrying passengers frill, bo required to catry ivirplesS equipment. At the Radio-Telegraphic Oonferenco, it was carried, on tho motion of Australia, that steamers should bo required to carry ,a, doplicato set of motive powxjiy oapable of maintaining oommuni'cation for 24 hours,, in ease tho original motiTO, powW,, front tho engines should fail." ■ : : ,

State-owned ■; Atlantic Cable? y ; ; A project which has recently attracted attention m several parte of ; the Empire is that of laying a State-owned: cable across the-Atlantic. The - last' Imperial Unfertile# ,-affirmed. the desitability of further conmdenrig.the laying, of such a cablil, unless private caWo oompanien madß substantialredactions in their rates. , W" 1 ®? the matter, was mentioned vesterFrasor expressed himself emphatically:— .. . ••• "I say unreservedly that it: don't think that wo will (;ot substantial reductions lrom the cdble companies, and therefore the laying of a State cablo will be urged by the Commonwealth .Government. I mw goild deal more to eay on'tlua CTbjcct after toy consultation with i, Mr. Rhodos, which will take place On my rtv turn to Wellington. More on State Control. In the Federal: .Parliament recently" Mr. Deakinjujgistcd. that the time' had con)e when the.CommonwoalthPosttilasterSf^ supported l>y an active cseoutivo, in the' Shape of a board "of coramissioncrs charged with, continuous Oversight and practical • oontiol .afn th« smico,

anTego-Td to this, Mr Frazer stated that the proposal, was hot favourably regarded by th 6 Government of which ha is a member.

./■A,® Government behove' ho rajd, Ministerial coritrol of the Post Office Mm JHe How that it is not essontaal that it shall be a paying proposition— that its primary 'whifsi giving consideration -to i atiaucial interests, is to meet the convenience of : the public, and ro extend to j' : those who ■ • are located out back. Tremondous, increases have been experienced in,th6 Wquests for tolegraphio and telephonic facilities during tho last few ytsaro, and it has boon found necessary to rim tho Department; at a loss. . : ; ••■■'On HiiraF Telephohos.' , , Speaking about tho policy of; his'icpaitjnent in extending rural Wephono facili.disoiiiraged if.l i? > "'& b ?, private' telophono lines, but that. repeiitly he had lxsduced tho height of telephone poles, rcquirod under «>« Act from. 2ift, all roukd, to 18ft at crossings.; And 12ft, abovo . tho* ground aJong roadways. As a .oonsequenoo 4 considerable reduction. wiii 1 looked ■ for in tho expenditurethat wdulil hayo,to lo v lnourrM in.country dis- ; tricts.'ThOipepartiiiCnt also in some places took, advantage of substantial fences- and constructed its lines Upon them. Where, tho hroppsit oil-was not at ull; flnanciallvi sou&d, re.si<leiits benefiting were called upon to make, good 75 per cent,' of the deficiency iheUrred in Working tho lines, : :

: Automatic telephones. * Automatic telephone installations have been tried oh ;a 6mall scale;in the >Commmiv/calth,. alia have given satisfaction.. Ho hare installed an alitomatio : 6.ystcm #t, GrOelpbi, on. the Strowger principle," said Mr. Jra&sr, Whfin ho was questioned on this suhjo:t, '''nnd our expericnco is that; it 'iii working most ■satisfactorily. At Geelong tliero are, I thtokr about 800 lines. Just prior to leavihjr, in view of the satisfaction givoU by Hid GCOlOng exchange, 1' lot li contract for automatic installations, foi' thrws of Mid Suburbs Of Sydney, Newtown,; Globe, and Balmalu, on the Stfowger system. . If it gives the same FaUElactioir in a link of; th' 6 bigger network of Sydney;as it has given in Geelong, I thjtlk that there is nb doubt, that Sydney will bo equipped throughout with automatic telephones." ■ .

Hon, Mr. Prater's Itinerary. Mr; Frnzor called yesterday. upon- the Hon. W. F. Mas Soy (Prime Minister),and also upon Mr. D. M'Laroii (Mayor). Today ho leaves by Main Trufik express fox Auckland, whliro ho will spend a few dnVs. Next ho iwill go t6.Kotorua, WhcfO nisi ho intends) to, Spend a few days. It is his intention to get tack to Welhngtbn oil January'3B, and to leavo on January 18 for LyttcUonj Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queens town. On January 27 Mr. Frazer mil lecivc thft .Bluff by the UlitaaNia oil his return to' Sydney. ■ ; • :