WIRELESS CHARGES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1895, 1 November 1913, Page 5

WIRELESS CHARGES.

A REDUCTION BY HALF, FIVEPENCE PER WORD. The rates for wireless messages ho* tween the New Zoaland const stations and most of the ships off the Now Zealand coast have been reduced from Kid. to 6d. per word. A statement to this effect was made in tho House of. Representatives last night by the Hon. R. H. Rhodes (Postmaster-General). Iho previous evening the Leader of the Opposition hod urged the- Post-niaster-Genoral to use his influence to have the wireless rates reduced, and Mr. Rhodes said that ho had already been, in communication with the Board of tho Amalgamated Australasian Wireless Company. ' Tho Postmaster-General aaid in the House last night that ho had received a letter from tho Wireless Board, «md he read oxtrasts from the letter. Following is the full text of the communication the Postmaster-General ro« coived:— "Tho proposals you were good enough to make were fully discussed at our board meeting, and wo arc pleased to inform you that wo shall bo agreeable to comply with your suggestions for reducing tho present radio-telegraph rates on board ships operated bv this company trading exclusively between Australia; and New Zealand, and bV tween ports on the coast of New Zea. land: tho total charge to bo sd. per word, and divided in the proportion of three-firths to tho coast station and twohttlis to the ship station. "With reference to the mail steam* era.trading between New Zealand and San .Francisco, New Zealand arid Van■fflouvor and New Zealand and the South £>ea Islands, wo should prefer not te mata> tho reduction at tho present time, but to watch tho effect of the reduced rates on those ships already mentioned, and then, if after a suitable trial period, an extension to these later appears to bo justified, we shall be very pleased to again consider the question.

Between Ship and Ship. "For th<s exchange of telegrams ex* '-\ clusively between ships to which the re- '; diiccd rates will apply, wo foresee somo' j difficulty in making a similar rcductitm, ~ because the arrangement at present ap. ) plies only when they ore in commUhica- •' won with the Nrtw Fedahd coast sta- ■,■;' toons,, and not during other parts of 5 their voyage 'We think the best ar-■:■'■! rttngoment for tho time being will bo. to -..i make a rate of 43. per word for ,mes- j sages exchanged between any two slips, j licensed by your Administration., i.e., ' 2d. per word for each ship, and when ) communicating with ships licensed else- i where, the present ship tax of 4b\ .per \ word should' be charged for such oiiief 5 ships, and 2d. per word far the New ' Zealand ship. "Wo propose, if; .after a suitable-trial, , jmo reduction is justified by a sufficient' J increase in traffic, to approach the Commonwealth Government with a suggest toon to apply similar rates oil tho Aus'- ' traliafi coast, and if this is done, tho i reduced ship tax can bo applied to all ' communications between any ships registered in the Dominion or the Commonwealth. Advertising Proposed. "Wo suggest, if suitable to you, that ; tho new rates should como into force on January 1, and simultaneously with ! their introduction, wo have decided to '■ oxpend a considerable sum upon tlioroughly advertising, the service, as wo .' realise that at. the present time" tho public has not boon educated to tho use of wireless telegraphic .communication between shore and ship. In conjunction with our advertising, wu shall Ijo very pleased to provide our periodical communication oharts to each of vour head post offices, if you will bo goij '■ onpugh to arrange-'for a-list .to bo pub* ! lished at every telegraph oflice in Ns* : Zealand, informing tho pxiblie what i ships arc in communication with, and may bo expected to communicate with, New Zealand coast stations. A siini- \ lar arrangement to tills has been mail with tho Postmaster-Cieneral'B Department in Melbourne. Wo are prov'd' ing.copies of each communication chaoß ; to the Dopnty-Postmastors-General in ; 6very State, and they will oauso to bo exhibited in the public office a list of all ships expected to "bo in range with ; Australian coast stations., at the samo j time, they will telegraph the informa- i tioh to every silb-tnlograph office, whora , Bimilar lists will_ be posted. Those lists '! are to be exhibited in conjunction with . I an attractive circular which tho Depart- I tren't is now getting out. "Wo shall bo pleased to co-operate i with your .Department in all efforts to- j iooroaso the amount of radio-telegraph ! traffic." ■'