Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1939. WIRES AND WIRELESS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 March 1939, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1939. WIRE S AND WIRELESS.

JN Mdsterton and elsewhere, the telegraphic service rendered by the Post Office necessarily is of varying efficiency. Messages in general can be transmitted only over available land-wire channels and in some instances these are far from direct. Messages to Masterton from Napier and Dannevirke, for example, come by way of Wellington.

Considering that the existing land-wire service can be augmented only at very considerable cost, the question of a greatly extended use of wireless transmission seems to be well worth'going into. In New Zealand, wireless equipment is used by the Post Office as a means of communication with some areas not served by wires and also in inter-island communication in time of emergency. Stand-by wireless equipment is maintained, too, in various centres, Masterton among the number, to be used on occasions when the service over wires has broken down.

Official replies to suggestions that an increasing use should be made of wireless in extending and eventually replacing the present telegraphic service over land-wires have been on the whole non-committal and at times unconvincing. Frankness in dealing with the whole question is desirable. It would be interesting to know, for example, whether the PostmasterGeneral (Mr. Jones) is prepared to state that every practicable economical and reasonable use is being made of wireless in supplementing or superseding the land-wire service. Is the Post Office as definitely intent as, say, the Public Works Department, under Mr. Semple’s administration, on securing the best and most economical plant available?

There have been .some statements of late that newspapers are getting telegraphic service from the P. and T. Department at less than cost. Against this, however, it is claimed that if the newspapers were allowed to do their own distribution of news by means of wireless, with a tape machine in each receiving office, they would get a. greatly improved service and would save a large part of the telegraphic charges they now pay to the Department. Even if it be held that the Post Office monopoly must stand, should not the Department be expected to use the most economical and efficient plant, available, not only in the transmission of news messages, but in all branches of telegraphic service? On what grounds can it be considered right, that round-about communication should be maintained over land wires if the option exists of maintaining direct, efficient and economical communication by means of wireless equipment?