BEAM WIRELESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 87, 13 April 1927, Page 8

BEAM WIRELESS.

DOMINION'S CAUTIOUS ATTITUDE. GOOD OUTSIDE SERVICES. AMPLE CABLE CAPACITY. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. Not having extensive financial resources for elaborate and costly experiments, New Zealand lias followed a ■waiting attitude in regard to wireless, though the technical experts of the Post and Telegraph Department are well in touch with what is going forward. The latest developments in beam wireless offers a fascinating prospect for the future, and it is the opinion of a wellinformed authority connected with the Postal Department that wireless broadcasting may improve so rapidly that relaying of English programmes may soon become a real factor. Then the average man who so far has not troubled to bother "listening in" to local programmes will instal a wireless receiving set if only to participate in -the broad easting services of international importance available to the English wireless owners. New Zealand is profiting daily from the broadcasting programmes of the British official station at ltupby. Three times a day this station sends out a news budget which is picked up efficiently by the Awarua station near luvercargill. These mesages sometimes run to a thousand words, and what is of New Zealand interest is handed to the Press Association for redistribution to the Dominion press. The difficulties experienced by Awarua in picking pu this daily bulletin have been comparatively slight. Static has occasionally interfered, but any gaps in the first reception can be filled in when the message is again broadcasted a few hours later.

Wireless and Cable. Will the beam wireless prove a formidable competitor to the cable service? So far as New Zealand is concerned, we are amply provided with cable capacity. The present volume is far from equal to the capacity of the cables, but where wireless may make an inroad is in cheap working and consequent reduction of rates. There is no complaint of slowness in communications with England. What frequently happens with the New Zealand business man is that before leaving his office at 5 p.m. he cables to London. This message—as New Zealand is 11 hours ahead of London in time —is on the desk of the recipient when he gets down to the office on the calendar date on which it was sent, and if the answer is promptly cabled, the New ZpalaiuVr wiil get it when he, in turn, arrive' at the office the morning after lie

despatched his cable. Though New Zealand, for reasons of economy has not actively participated in the experimental work of wireless, it is closely associated with what is going on. There is a standing committee on Imperial wireless services, appointed to advise on matters of detail arising out of the conduct of the Imperial wireless service now operating between Great Britain and Canada, Australia and' South Africa. The New Zealand representatives on the committee are Sir James Parr (High Commissioner) and Mr. John Milward, late manager in the Pacific for the Pacific Cable Boaxd.