"STUDYING WIRELESS."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1852, 11 September 1913, Page 5

"STUDYING WIRELESS."

Sir,—ln to-day's issue I read with great interest the letter by "An Amateur in Distress." Dear Mr. Editor, will you kindly allow mo a small space to add my quota ? As an amateur, seventeen years old, I find tlio study of wireless "dry" enough without tho addition of "prohibition" by tho Post Office. It seems.peculiar that an occupation' tending to raise a youth and to increase the knowlcdgo of the world should be forbidden, while youths who waste their timo frequenting picture palaces, etc., aro not discouraged l . The Post OiTico would not have to take the initiative. Why not adopt tJie English wireless law? There are many stations continually working in England, yet they are not "jambed" by the amateur. Surely New Zealand ether with only four official stations disturbing it will not bo overcrowded if amateurs' aro allowed to have! tho use of it -under certain necessary conditions. Has not everybody a right to use the ether? You may just as well legislate to prevent people using sunlight. Who gavo the monopoly of tho other to the Post Office?

As for the cry of "jambing" and "tapping" messages, almost any telephone or telegraph message can bo tapped and interfered with, whilo if a mossago is worth tapping it can bo "coded." If the Post Office gave tho amateur permission to work tinder certain restrictions it would havo some control over them, and all true enthusiastic amateurs would bo willing to swear not to divulge any messages received. At present when an amateur gets a message he eanj if he likes, give it away without breaking the law,- only taking' tho message is wrong, but at present tho "criminal" amateur is honourable. —I am, etc., WAVE-METER. Wellington, September 9, 1913.