WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 March 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

WIRELESS V. CABLES. (Special to “ Guardian WELLINGTON, March 21. The competition lie tween the cables ami the wireless companies is very similar to the competition In-tween railways and roads. Like railways the eahle companies no longer have monopolies. There is only one wireless transmitting service between the United Kingdom and the l’nited States of America. This is worked by the .Marconi Company in conjunction with the Radio Corporation in the l’nited States at present on the old high-power lonewave system, and according to the Marconi Company it has secured 20 per cent of the I’.S.A. traffic in competition with lout teen cables. The Marconi Company has nnu installed at Dorchester a “beam " station (transmittine ~n low-power short-wave lengths) for eommunciation with the United States. Apart from this commercial service Marconi has a contract with the British Government to erect and operate beam stations lining up Canada. Australia. South Africa and India with Great Britain. Under that contract the wirelcs rates are cheaper than the cable: rates. The beam services will soon bo taking the hulk of the Empire traffic. It is stated that the beam system in Australia had taken 'll) per cent of the Britain-Australia traffic formerly received by the Pacific cable. The Marconi Company receives a royalty of (I* per cent on cross reroipts of tin- Empire beam service. The Marconi. Company is also licensed to establish wireless communication with all foreign companies apart from Empire beam contract, and will before long fie operation; commercial beam .services with South America as well as North America. There is nothin;.; to prevent the wireless companies from absorbing in course of time the whole of the tratlie now received by tin- cable companies. One difficulty is that radio communication can he guaranteed as yet during a portion only of the twenty-four hours’ period. At certain times of the year and at certain hours there is a period of “fading” in beam transmission. This is a real difficulty, lint the Alarconi Company declares emphatically that this problem of fading will be solved. The bulk of the business which the Marconi Company has been able to take away from the Cable Company has so far been of the less urgent character—that is to say the ‘•deferred,” or ■■ week-end letter ” messages which are not affected by the “ fading period.” The Cable Companies claim that they have improved and speeded up their own services, and that by the use ol the “ loaded ” cable they now send five or more separate messages simultaneously along tile' same eahle. The financial position of the Cable ( ompanies is so strong that they could under-cut wireless rates, and it is c laimed could almost ruin the wireless companies. The capital cost ot beam stations is hardly one-tenth ol the cost, of cables, while the operating costs are lower also.

To standardise the telegraph rates or tci restrict wireless services to the less important classes ol traffic would, it is claimed, sterilise wireless development and keep up the rates, lfie public is concerned to get the most economic means ol telegraphy, and any cooperation between Marconi and the cable companies which restricted Hie development ol ific cheapest service would be uneconomic and anti-social. The British Government as well as the Governments ot Canada, Australia and New Zealand are interested in cable

communication through participation in t.lie financing ol the Uacific Board and imperial tables. The co-operation between the cable companies and the wireless company is desirable, and the recent announcement of the merger between the- Marconi Company and the Eastern Cable Company apparently meets with public approval, for the shares of both companies have appreciated considerably. THE MEAT MARKET.

At one time it was stated that there would be a market in some of the European countries for Uozen meat and in the earlier post-war days there was some warrant for this view. But Continental Europe has since increased its herds sufficiently to warrant a measure of protection being extended to them. Germany lias increased her Customs duties mi frozen meat and the French Government has followed suit hv raising the rate by 40 per cent. Really the matter does not affect- New Zealand because we send very little heel away, but it affects the Argentine which sends a considerable quantity of second class beef in a Irozen state to the Continent. This beef, however, shut out of the European market, will lie dumped on London and will come into competition with New Zealand and Australian beef and is hound to force down prices, which are low enough now.