SHORT-WAVE RADIO.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 292, 10 December 1929, Page 10

SHORT-WAVE RADIO.

LINKING PACIFIC ISLANDS. RAROTONGA THE NEXT. EXPENDITURE APPROVED. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Government has approved the expenditure required for equipping the Rarotongan radio station with shortwave. When this is completed the whole of the Pacific radio communication will be on short wave, this being the most efficient system. Rarotonga at present is unable directly to communicate with New Zealand at any time, and radio messages are relayed to New Zealand through Apia. When the short wave is available the Cook Islands will be in constant, direct touch with the Dominion.

There is a sliort-wave commercial station at Suva, and it is probable lhat the Tongan Government will soon be running its radio on the same system. For the last t\vo"ycars the New Zealand Fost and Telegraph Department has been using short-wave radio for communication with Samoa, the San Francisco mail steamers and the whaling steamers.working in the Antarctic which are provided with this equipment. There is an appreciable amount of commercial work associated with whaling i/n the Antarctic.