WIRELESS PIRATES

Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1931, Page 6

WIRELESS PIRATES

A ROXJND-UP. 400,000 IN LONDON ALONE. LONDON, September 17. It is alleged that there was 400,000 wireless pirates in London alone, and an official drive against them is to he taken in hand. And not before time, since they must bring a loss to the Post Office of £200,000 a year. In London with its eight million population, only 600,000 licenses are paid for, and it is well known, that there must b<e thousands who are cheating the revenue. There is clear evidence of this outside London, for a Post Office official states to-day that when the wireless detector vans appear in any district the sales of licenses go (up phenomenally. “In one town the whole business of the Post Office was held up, so great was the demand for licenses, while the van w:is cruising round.” “Between now and October 1,” said the official, “anyone can get a written, license without questions being asked. We shall want to know how long a man lias had a set, when and where lie got it, and to see hi,s old license. Every defaulter will he rigorously prosecuted, and it will not he a 10s fine if we can help it. We shall demand the full penalty every time, and £5 will he nearer the average. », We are boing perfecty fair and giving everyone time to make amends. A large notice is gejng put up in all Post Offices. It reads: 'Warning. Is your wireless set licensed?’ No one will he able to make the excuse of not knowing anything about it. “Every possible avenue will be used to find the tax dodgers. If necessary we shall consult every wireless shop and every place where accumulators are- charged until a complete list of wireless users is made. This will he compared with the list of licenses issued in each district, and woe hotido those whose names are not there. We have never raided London before, but this time we intend to comb the whole city systematically. Then we shall round up the provinces.”