Talking Overseas

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 21, 5 December 1930, Page 1

Talking Overseas

WV ireless T elephone Service to Australia is Now Available

_, N event of the highest importance in New Zealand radio took place last week when the radio telephone service between New Zealand and Australia was tES| declared open. Last week we were able to tell how the experimental fol between New Zealand and England. lnad been successful, and it was intimated that the service between New Zealand and Australia would soon be commer-

cially available. On Tuesday last the great forward step was made and now any telephone subscriber in New Zealand can ring up Australia, surely a remarkable feat. Wireless telephone has been in operation between England and Australia for some time, and it has been the ambition of engineers and the New Zealand business community to have this link extended to our own country. Now that it has been done it is reported that very full use is being made of the service. They were historical gatherings which met in the Parliament Buildings and in a Wellington business house on the afternoon of Tuesday last. In the former Sir Apirana Ngata, representing the Prime Minister, the Secretary of the General Post Office, the Chief Telegraph Engineer, and a member of the Telegraph Engineer's Office were present, and it was from here that the first official telephone conversation was made with Australia. At the larger gathering were prominent business men from Welling-

ton, and each was equipped with an earphone so that the conversation between Sydney and New Zealand could be heard distinctly. In his speech in declaring the service open Mr. G. W. Robertson, the New Zealand manager of Amalgamated Wireless, remarked upon the wonderful achievement of the age which enabled the human voice to be flung over 1000 miles of ocean and permitted it to be

reproduced faithfully at the other end through ali the variations of the atmosphere. The apparatus must be thoroughly up-to-date, delicate and accurate. His company was very proud that they had had the opportunity of installing it, but he wished to stress the point that the actual work in connection with fitting the apparatus had been done solely by the engineers of the Post and Telegraph Department. They had had innumerable difficulties to contend with but had persevered and had finally shown that they were able to get 100 per cent. success from the apparatus. These engineers were New Zealanders, and the fact that they had not needed outside assistance was a point deserving of the greatest commendation. Normally the company would have put the service into operation itself, as it had done in other parts of the world, but in this case it was quite unnecessary. He referred to the foresight and ability of the managing-direc~ tor of the company, Mr. E. T, Fisk. It was through him that the

New Zealand and Australia Linked. { by Telephone

(Continued from Front Page.) communication first between Australia and England, and latterly between New Zealand and England, had Been brought about. On behalf of the Government, Mr. W. A. Veitch said that the occasion was important, not only as a technical accomplishment, but as a link which made for harmony, peace and good will among the nations of the world. In these days when we were accustomed to scientific achievements we eould not fail to be impressed by this last accomplishment. Britain had developed her power because she controlled communications and she was still the greatest nation because she was quick to realise the value of the new scientific link that radio was providing. ‘If we looked upon the achievements of our HWmpire in that light we may well give vent to our imagination as to what such a nation, inspired with such high ideals, may achieve in using the amazing inventions of our .scientific and technical men. We began today by sending kindly messages’ of goodwill to our brothers across’ the Tasman Sea, and I venture to say that as the years go by, this ‘method’ of communication, which carries with it

the sound of the human voice, will ultimately become a great organisation which will be used to make friends for the -British Hmpire in all the corners of the earth," Speaking to Mr. Fisk later by radio telephone Mr. Veitch said that the distance between the two countries was the only thing between them. British people were proud of the*‘fact that they could build together and face common difficulties. The ideals that had inspired the sons of both Australia and New Zealand in the Great War would not be forgotten in these times, and that would be an inspiration to establish a new Britannia on the Southern Seas, of which Australia

and New Zealand would be component parts. From .the Parliament Buildings the first official radio telephone conversation took place. It was a Maori greeting from Sir Apirana Ngata followed by a remark that he hoped the Australians could understand Maori. "Mr. Ransom is away from duty just now, and I am taking his place," said Sir Apirana. "We send you. greetings from New Zealand, and we are cognisant of the importance of this occagion and this official opening of communication by radiophone. You arc having a hard time over there and so are we, but I think we shall manage to pull through. Greetings to you. good-bye." Mr. Fenton, Acting-Prime Minister of Australia, returned Sir .Apirana’s greetings, and remarked that he was equally pleased to be able to take a part in what was probably the most important event that has been celebrated across the Tasman. The two countries had a great deal in common and the telephone link would be a -further asset to the promotion of goodwill. .He hoped.that ministerial visits between the two countries would be more common. Personally he was sure he would derive great commercial

and social benefit from the new service. Referring to the hard times in Australia, he said he was quite satisfied that they would pull through satisfactorily. No doubt New Zealanders were doing their best to produce plenty of butter, cheese and lamb and other important products. They were doing that in Australia and were quite sure that everything would be quite normal before long. To Assist Trade. ME. BE. T. Fisk, managing director of Amalgamated Wireless, speaking from Sydney, sent greetings to New Zealand. New Zealand and Australia, he remarked, were isolated British communities, and it was a great pleasure to take part in the inauguration of a service which would bring them: together. It was hoped that the service would assist the trading and commercial interests of the two countries and enhance their social relationship and help the Press. He congratulated the officers of the New Zealand Post, and Telegraph Department and expressed friendship and goodwill as between the two outposts of the Empire. In making a resume of the development of telephone wireless he matile the point that any telephone user in Australia had facilities for direct conversation with at least 50,000,000 others in Britain, Hurope and America. Mr. Kitto, who represented the Australian Postmaster-General’s Department, briefly congratulated Mr. Fisk on the success which attended the opening of the service, possible extensions of which in the next few years, in view of the wonderful development» that attended communications within the lifetime of a number of those present, could hardly be visualised todav. The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr. G. McNamara, also spoke over the wireless telephone and expressed the hope. that the service would be of the fullest use to both countries, Mr. A. Gibbs, Chief Telegraph Engineer of ‘the Post and Telegraph Department, talking to Mr. Fisk, said that he was very pleased with the manner in which the apparatus had operated. It had given a first-class ac-

count of itself, and he hoped to extend the system so that 99 per cent. of the world’s telephones would be placed at the service of New Zealand subscribers. Although after these speeches the formalities were at an end, several of the business men present requested that calls be put through for, them, and despite the difficulties atte t upon. a request of this nature, . H. Lawn, who was in charge of the technical aspect of the telephone,. put through the call as though he was putting through a city ring. In one ease the head of an organisation was called up in Sydney and when the bell rang answered it as though he was an ordinary local call. He expressed the greatest surprise when he recognised the voice of his New Zealand representative at the other end. Another interesting fact in connection with the official opening was that the representatives of the Press who were taking down the speeches did so throus* the telephone receiver, They were not supplied with any notes, and those who were present agreed that the reports were remarkably accurate. The First Call, "THE commercial call, in fact, before the official opening, was made a few minutes after 2 o’clock yesterday, Zealand Director of Western Blectrie Co., spoke to Mr. J. H. Barker, the managing director of the company, who had gone to Sydney to take up a simila position with the Australian Company. Mr. McCutcheon said that he felt it an honour to represent the first commercial house in: the Dominion to use the trans-Tasman radiophone service. The conversation might be regarded as expensive-costing £1 per minute-but there were times in business when a conversation over such a vast expanse of sea was worth it. He said that he found it necessary to speak loudly and clearly, and no difficulty was experienced.in hgjding the two-way conversation. tainly the ‘voice faded at times, quickly returned to normal. It seemed inconceivable that he was talking to his principal per ‘medium of the (Concluded on page 5.) { when Mr. A. McCutcheon, the New.

Linked by Telephone (Continued from page 2.) ordinary business telephone on his desk. Science was more and more renderirg assistance to the ramifications of Lusiness. "The only difference,’ said Mr. McCutcheon, "in comparing the wireless call with the usual telephone talk was that the voice, though quite. loud and clear, appeared to be further away. This did not in any way affect the audibility." Mrs. Barker, who was present at the Wellington office, spoke to her husband, She said later that it was a delightful experience to be able to hold a conversation over such a long dis~ tance. The voice was readily recognisuble and surprisingly clear. During, the official proceeding, Mr. McCutcheon, who was present, informed Mr. G. W. Robertson, New Zealand manager of A.W.A., that he had made the first call, and pencilled a note to Mr. Robertson commenting on the remarkable success of the inauguration. Exchange of News. NOTHER quite unexpected incident shortly after 2 o’clock was the first Press talk when the Sydney "Sun" rang up the editorial department of the "Wvening Post." The two staffs exchanged greetings, and to put the matter on a footing possibly indicative of the future use of such a service in the newspaper world, a news item was sent in each direction. Another conversation took place between Oscar Garden and Kingsford Smith. The call was put through and a few minutes later Kingsford Smith was speaking. Mr. Garden, in response to a question from Kingsford Smith, said that he had had a good trip across the Tasman and had met Mr. Stannage, who sent his regards and hoped to be present at the weding. Kingsford Smith asked for everybody in New Zealand, and replying to a further question as to whether he was going to do another Pacific flight, said that such an item could be "washed out." "I do not know anything about that. You can tell them that the only flight I contemplate is the matrimonial flight." At the Sydney end a gathering representative of official, professional, and business men met in the offices of Amalgamated Wireless. Mr. J. . Fenton, Acting Prime Minister, spoke from Canberra and exchanged greetings with Sir Apirana Ngata. Service Well Patronised. [= is understood that the service is being well patronised and calls have been reecived from all over New Zealand. The head of one Wellington business firm told us that he had used the service successfully during the short time it had been available and had found it of the greatest use. It was much more satisfactory than the cablegram, which only presented one side and one point of view. Through the wireless telephone points could be discussed and settled ever so much quicker than by other means. "It is certainly going to save me quite a few trips to Sydney and quite a few misunderstandings," he remarked. HE new service is expected to have a good run at Christmas time, for it offers an ideal method of exchanging greetings-for those who can afford it.