EMPIRE COMMUNICATIONS.

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 52, 13 July 1928, Page 4

EMPIRE COMMUNICATIONS.

LN view of the statement made to the daily Press that a merger will be effected between wireless and cable interests in the direction of improving the efficiency and scope of Empire communications, the review on our front page by Mr. G. H. Brown, the Australian Post-master-General, who has been attending the necessary conferences in London, is of special interest. Rapidity of communication is of vital importance.in modern commercial life, and of itself has contributed tremendously to the efficiency and scope of modern business activities. The rapid strides made by beam transmission in recent years, and jts cheapness in comparison with the heavy cost of providing submarine cables as channels of communication, made it a dangerous competitor in the commercial field for the privately-owned and Stateowned cables. It became necessary, therefore, in the interests alike of the State and of the business world, to consider an amalgamation to protect, on the one hand, the investments made by the State in providing for speedy communication, and on the other, to ensure that the march of progress should not be delayed by the extension of undue protection to State investments. The problem was a big one, and demanded the adoption of special methods. It became necessary to effect a weld, as it were, between the two principles of State ownership and private ownership, this being done by apparently a satisfactory merger, in which care must necessarily be taken to protect all interests involved. "THE important point for the business man. who is dependent upon rapidity of communication, is that the fullest efficiency shall be secured. ‘This is being attained. The efficiency that is now possible in beam transmission between Britain and Australia is hardly yet realised in New Zealand. The regular traffic has attained stupendous dimensions, but the effect of it has as yet hardly been felt in New Zealand. The development of the merger, however, may be expected to extend the benefits of beam transmission somiewhat to this country, possibly by cheaper rates, and possibly by quicker transmission. [HE ordinary broadcast listener in New Zealand is mainly concerned with the entertainment value of wireless. Important cas that is, and valuable as it is, it plays but second fiddle to business interests and the importance of wireless in facilitating international Press and business communications. The developments that are taking place in the transmission of pictures, facsimiles of documents, etc., are very remarkable. The wireless era is apparently just beginning, and humanity is only commencing to benefit from the educative value of wireless in its various phases. The scope of those phases, and their ultimate effect upon world forces through the ‘spread of education, may be glimsped by a series of special articles culled from "World Radio," which appears on page 2 of this issue. ‘Those articles outline in comprehensive fashion the development in Canada, India, Malaya, South Africa, and Australia. In the leastdeveloped portions of the Empire-South Africa, Malaya, and India --it is impossible to foresee just what effect wireless will have over decades, but the enlightenment that is likely to come to the millions of India through wireless may have very notable reactions on Empire economic growth.