WIRELESS OF EMPIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 9 April 1925, Page 5

WIRELESS OF EMPIRE.

DILATORY POST OFFICE.

THE BEAM STATIONS.

(By Cable.— Press Association.—Copyright.) LOXDOX, April S. In replying to a question yesterday iv the House of Commons regarding Empire wireless, Sir YV. M. Thompson (Post-master-General) said the high-power station at Rugby would, he expected, be liiinpleted ill November. sites for beam system stations, for com:, v.nication with Canada and South Africa, l::iri been placed at the disposal of the Marconi Company. These stations were due for completion early in October. .Sites for the beam stations for communication with India and Australia, had been suggested for the company's approval. These should be completed within nine months of the provision of the cites.

The Minister said that latest reports indicated that the stations in South Africa and Canada would be finished about the same time as the corresponding stations in England. The stations in India and Australia would probably not be ready before the end of the year or carlv in 192 G.

The Dominions had been invited to nominate representatives to act on a permanent committee to be presided over by the Assistant PostmasterGeneral." This committee would consider the practical details in connection with the working of the services.— (Router.)

Sir Alfred Mond recently said that when he at the invitation of the Labour Government served ou a departmental committee for the Post Office to inquire into the development of Empire wireless ho found that the majority of the committee were Civil servants and postal trade unionists who were clearly determined to do the least possible. They were always impressing other committeenien with the unimportance of wireless compared with the Post Office cables and telegraphs. Sir Alfred emphasised that Imperial wireless could only be developed on a. large scale if it was taken out of the subordinate position it now occupied in the Post Office. Furthermore, he had found on the committee a great lack of appreciation of the Imperial aspect of the subject.

Lovd Burnham, President of the Empire Press Union, said that he almost despaired of anything satisfactory coming , from the present attempt to run wireless through the Post Office. He had just declined to continue membership of the advisory committee of the Post Office because it was a waste of time and an imposition on the public.

■Sir Robert Donald, who was chairman of the Committee on Imperial Wireless, said that the high-power station which Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, when Postmaster-General, had hoped would be open in 12 months had not yet been completed. Probably it would be completed this year, but it was more than 18 months behind. The same thing was happening in connection with other stations.

A resolution was adopted requesting the Postmaster-General (Sir William Mitchell-Thomson) to state specifically what he was doing- to provide an efficient wireless service, when it would operate, and on what lines it would be run.