Wellington Amateur Radio Society.

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 47, 7 June 1929, Page 8

Wellington Amateur Radio Society.

Annual General Meeting

OX Monday evening, May 27, the annual meeting of the Amateur Radio Society of Wellington was held in the Dominion Farmers’ Institute. The night was bitterly cold, and there vere only thirty present. Mr. Byron Brown, president, occupied the chair. : A letter was received from Mr. D. G. Wyles, formerly of Wellington, now in Melbourne, thanking the society for its letter of appreciation of his lectures, and undertaking to render any assistance possible in Australia. Annual Report. [TH hon, secretary, Mr. A. G. H. Laws, read his annual report, which was as follows :- "During the past year the society has done much good work in the service of listeners. At the present moment there is a general feeling of satisfaction among members in the work of the Broadcasting Co., and the society has had very few complaints or even suggestions to pass on. During the year we have, however, on several occasions agitated for the broadeasting of dinner music, and, as you are aware, this request has now been granted. The society also took an active part in the effort to persuade the Racing Conference to remove its ban on the broadcasting of race meetings, and much correspondence passed in this connection. "Ten monthly meetings have been held, and a very fine series of lectures and demonstrations given. The following subjects have been dealth with: Various characteristics of receiving valves; short-wave sets; the Browning Drake circuit; all-electric sets; crystal sets; electrie power amplifiers; some electric units; and the pentode valve. The thanks of the society are due to Messrs. McCarthy, Fear, Billing, Hardeastle, and Dawson for the provision of these talks. "The membership of the society stood at 225, but I regret to say that a eonsiderable number of resignations have just been received, while sub- .

scriptions for 1930 are coming in very slowly. "The average attendance at meetings has of late fallen off somewhat, and the reason for this is thought to be a feeling of apathy brought about by the general satisfaction in the programmes provided by the Radio Broadcasting Co." A tribute was also paid to the work of the president, Mr. B. Brown.

The treasurer’s report showed a small credit amount in the bank, and the sum of £2 11s. owing to the society, which had no liabilities. Presidential Address. ‘HE president, Mr. B. Brown, in his address, expressed the opinion that

the broadcast programmes could be still further improved. He had no fault to find with the Broadcasting Company in particular, but he considered that any service essentially a monopoly should be_ controlled by the State, and if this were brought about, it would ensure a_ higher standard of progressiveness. If broadeast listening were as popular in New

Zealand as in Australia, the number of broadcast listening licenses in the Dominion should total 60,000 instead of 42,000 as at present. The wealth of the people of New Zealand was vastly in excess of that in Australia per capita, and yet there was a much higher proportion of listeners in the He urged that when the existing contract between the Government and the Broadcasting Company expired broadcasting should -be taken over by the Government, as was about to be done in Australia or by a semiGovernment corporation. Football Broadcasts. SOME speakers condemned the: practice of announcing "2YA, Wellington," while musical items were being broadcast during the dinner music session. It was contended that the station’s call-sign could be announced between items, instead. A motion was adopted that a request be forwarded to the Broadeasting Com- ~

pany that the Sunday afternoon musi" cal session be extended till 5 pm. | The meeting carried a resolution disassociating the society from certain criticisms of the announcing at 2YA, Wellington, which have appeared in the Press. The secretary was instructed to write to the director of 2YA, complimenting the announcer on his work. Considerable discussion ensued on the subject of broadcasting descriptions of football matches from 2YA every Saturday. By thirteen votes to seven, several present abstaining from voting, the following resolution was adopted: "That this society recommends that the Broadcasting Company abstain from relaying descriptions of football matches from 2YA, eE ton, other than international, rT colonial, inter-provincial and fin of club championships, music to be substituted instead on Saturday afternodns." The secretary made a special appeal for subscriptions. HE election of office-bearers for the ensuing year resulted :-President, Mr. Byron Brown; chairman, Mr. J. H. Owen; hon. vice-presidents, the Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, the Mayor (Mr. G. A, Troup). Messrs. P. Fraser, M.P., McKeen, M.P., R. A. Wright. M.P., Chapman, M.P., R. Semple, M.P.. S, Kirkecaldie, Captain C. Foster, Messrs. 8. Geo. Nathan, D. A. Aiken, Dr. H. EB. Gibb, Messrs. C. G. Turner, G. Robertson, Irvine, Fitt, R. Wilberfoss, HopeGibbons, H, D. Bennett, Dr. Harty; active vice-presidents, Messrs. W. J. Roche, I. M. Levy, T. Donovan, and Dr. W. S. Robertson; committee, M Ponman, Messrs. G. W. Morgan, W. A, Glover, W. H. Taylor; hon. secretary, Mr. A. G. H. Laws; hon. treasurer, Mr. W. J. Roche; hon. auditors, Messrs. Henry Kember and Son; technical adviser, Mr. W. M. Dawson.