Wireless Telephones

Hokitika Guardian, 7 June 1922, Page 3

Wireless Telephones

what they could do for the EARAIER. lliy Sir Douglas Newton, A1.1’.)

The ordinary telephone necessitate;* the provision and election of unsightly poles, together with the other expenditure inseparably connected with the

maintenance of an elaborate and expensive j hint. For tjie.-e reasons, if for no others it will always be found diflieull In provide an efficient system of telephones in lure] districts and ovoi.v effort should be made to utilise any alternative means of coininiiniention.

Snell mm si Ito iim t i vt" system, not eovering <|iiite so wide ;i held, is to be found in the development of tlie radio leieiviiio stntion. Il is iidinilted tlmt there would lie diflieulties in the wnv of n erenl exten-

sion in tiic number of transmitting stations. It would, lor example, senrcely be ])ilssil 11' In conceive n system liv "'hit'll you had, lot us say. 10,000 operators calling into tlie other :it tlio same time, all vainly endeavouring to attract the nttontioii of tlioir mates and in effect a junction with thorn. Tho use of wireless lies rather in the provision of eo-ordinnted mid controlled “broadcasting” stations from which inlorimition of direct value to trade and industry or of general public interest could he issued at nre-arranged times. Information issued in this wav would he available to all equipped with a reeeivingset. Spell sets need not he costly a matter of £."> or s o will hilv all thin is necessary. ISy the establishment, of broadcasting stations a rural dweller in tile most remote country districts would la- brought J into touch with mi unseen world, from i which lie would he able to glean irifor- I 'Nation not only of interest, hut also having a direct commercial value. 'to give Imt one example, the Metoo- i rologieal Office have for long past ],• j meustonied to scad oat at <‘ertain sea- ' soils 111 tile year forecasts of tile wen- ; tiler. I best* forecasts are used bv agri- 1 < -iilt ii lists and others seeking guidance 1 regarding the desirability of proceeding with harvesting and other agricultural ; operations.

Information of this character lias up to now been inaccessible to dwellers in many outlying districts in which telephones and telegraph offices are not available.

.Moreover, even in cases where such offices are provided, the service rendered by them is limited to certain days and working hours. Tb<* real value of information of this character is necessarily largely governed by the rapidity and east* with which it can he obtained, and it is in this direction that tin* latest developments of modern science should lx* applied in an endeavour to solve tin* problem.

Already we find that the progress made in this country is far behind that, of other nations. In Holland wivoless telephone installations lon e been set up which broadcast, thrice daily, file latest and final Stock Exchange quotations. And if we turn to the United States we find it estimated that there are now approximately a million wireless receiving sets in operation; yet .in this country, owing to 'restriction, buf little has so for been accomplished.