WIRELESS AND AMATEURS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2293, 29 October 1914, Page 6

WIRELESS AND AMATEURS

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TIME SERVICE. Surprise was expressed by member's of tho Wellington Philosophical Society mid Professor Kirk, in particular, at last night's annual, meeting of tho society at the misinterpretation placed by the Postmaster-General .on a motion passed by the society urging the Government to , issue licenses to amateur wireless operators on similar conditions to those upon which the English Gov eminent issue such licenses. In. his reply, the Postmaster-General wrote as follows: — "The technical officers of my Department are strongly adverse to extending facilities to amateurs, who are usually boys. The Department docs not admit that its policy is in any degree retarding tho science of wirelosG telegraphy. It* is prepared to fully consider, when brought under its notice, any matter which it is thought likely would advance the science; but it cannot admit that dabbling in the sending and rcceivint; of wireless signals by boys is of any advantage. • As regards tho transmitting and receiving of ordinary wireless' signals, the science is long past tho experimental stage." Professor Kirk remarked that the raotio'i passed by the society meant no such thing, as the Postmaster-General haJ intorperted. What tho society proposed was that amateur students should be given facilities for practising research on the linos allowed by Uio English Government. Professor Kirk said it would be.better to postpone answering the letter until the war was o' «r. ' This course was adopted. Another resolution was also passed by the society urging tho .Government to institute a wireless time service, such as is now maintained by international arrangement in Europo and America. To this a reply was received from tho Department of Internal Affairs, stating that it was recognised by the Department that such a service would bo ot great advantage to the shipping trade. Tho want, however, of the necessary up-to-date equipment to carry this nut effectively had been a bar to anything bciii" dono in the direction indicated. In order to liavo tho latest improve incuts at tho observatory, some few mouths'ago an order was placed in London for a Hicflor clock, and it was hoped that this would now have been to hand, luit owing to the war this necessarily hail to b<! cancelled, and it was doubtful at tho moment whether tho work could bo carried out. As soon as the necessary equipment had been received, iie om-siion of the extension of the time Kcrvico by the establishment of a wireless service of an effective range- for shipping would rccoivo every cousidcr.iition