EMPIRE WIRELESS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 180, 24 April 1924, Page 8

EMPIRE WIRELESS

4. HIGH-POWER STATIONS. When a high-power wireless, station has been erected in Great. Britain to communicate with, the dominions, it is understood that tlie Federal Ministry will immediately authorise the Amalgamated Wireless (Aust.), Ltd., .to proceed with the erection of a similar station in Australia. Some time ago (states the “Sydney Morning Herald”) th© Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., accepted th© tender of the Marconi Company for the erection of a station in the Commonwealth, but the work was delayed, because the Imperial authorities refused to grant a license to the same company for the purpose of erecting a corresponding station in Great Britain. Negotiations aro proceeding, between th© Commonwealth and the Imperial Government with a view to establishing direct wireless communication between Great Britain and Australia, and th© Federal Ministry, it is believed, is taking every possible action to expedite the establishment of a service. Th© Postmaster-General (Mr. Gibson) said that it would take 18 .months to erect the necessary station in. Australia when it was deemed advisable to authorise the work. Tlie, Federal Ministry was in communication with the British Ministry, and it did not intend to allort the matter to rest in the present unsatisfactory position. At the next meeting of the Cabinet tlie question would again be gone into. Canada had received permission some time ago to erect a station in Great Britain, while South Africa had made arrangements with the Marconi Company to establish direct communication. 'The Ministry had received a copy of the report of the Donald Committee of Experts, which was appointed by the British Parliament to investigate Empire wireless (plans. This committee had reported in effect that the Post Office should own and control high-power stations in Great Britain that communicated with the Dominions. Tlie report, would, of course, be considered by the. Cabinet, and it was intended to continue the negotiations with Britain to expedite the establishment of direct communication.