RADIO INSPECTORS

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 237, 21 June 1926, Page 8

RADIO INSPECTORS

WHAT IS THE POSITION? Sir,—In yesterday’s Dominion was published an official statement by the Secretary, General Post Office, iu connection with the controversy about the duties of honorary radio inspectors. He asserts that the powers of radio inspectors may be delegated only to officers of the P. and T. Department. We honorary radio inspectors would be deeply obliged to you if you will kindly give us space to make a reply which will shed a most interesting light on the whole subject. Four of us were originally appointed by the Department “honorary deputy-radio inspectors” in a letter signed by the Secretary of the P. and T. Department, but one of us has not. received the letter of appointment, it having apparently gone astray in the post. On a subsequent date three of us received the following letter:— Post and Telegraph Department, District Engineer’s Office, 31st May, 1926. Dear Sir,—l have this day forwarded to you a letter of appointment, under the hand of the Secretary of this Department, to the position of honorary deputy radio inspector for Wellington city. I wish to inform you that your period of appointment is at the of the Department, and will be largely determined by the manner in which the duties are carried out. In order that I may explain to you what is required, I shall be glad if you will make it convenient to call at my office at an early date. If you will communicate with me on telephone 41—090, and indicate a time suitable for an interview, I shall endeavour to make arrange ments to meet ,you. Yours faithfully, J. R. SMITH, Acting district Radio Inspector.

Only three of us received that letter. Again the letter addressed to the fourth appointee seemingly was lest in the post. It was not convenient for the three of us to go together to tho acting district radio inspector, and therefore that officer interviewed us separtely. He received each most courteously and gave each to understand that he was exceedingly pleased to have gratuitous assistance in seeing that the provisions of the Act and the' radio regulations were observed. He also very clearly explained to two of us that we had been appointed honorary members of the P. and T. Department in order to overcome a certain aimculty in establishing our official status, lhe third honorary radio inspector was given the same explanation by a responsible officer of the Department with whom he had to co-operate in the carrying out of his duties. Quite independently oi the above interviews, a fellow member ot the executive of the Amateur Radio Society of "Wellington interviewed the acting district radio inspector and received complete confirmation of the correctness oi a statement published in tho Dominion to the effect that wo honorary radio inspectors had the full authority of the Department’s official radio inspectors, and that any licensed listener-in who refuses us admittance to his, or her, private residence, after wc had produced our written authority of appointment, was liable to a penalty provided by the Government radio regulations. Thus 1 will be perceived there is not only the evidence of three of the honorary radio inspectors who were officially informed of their full status in separate interview., but there is the testimony of man who is not immediately It is possiWe, of course, that the Department may have since obtained leg advice which 1 ns prompted a reconsideration of our status. If this is so, we have just cause for complaint for the lack of courtesy on the part< of the De partment, for the pubHshed statement of the secretary of the G.F.O. is tl e first intimation we have received of any change in. our status. ,4. There is another important aspe.t to be considered. Although we have substantial evidence to prove that we' officially told that we honorary members of the P. and I. Denartment, the secretary of the G.r.y. states that the regulations give to appoint us with the full assistant radio inspectors. In view ot this, it would be interesting to learn by what authority the secretary of the Department signed the letters notifying us of our appointment as _ honoiaiy deputy-radio inspectors.” An inspection of the regulations will reveal that there is no provision for simh appointments. Our letters of appointment were’ on official paper, and signed officially. The text of the letters of appointment distinctly indicate, also, that we were under official control; ive were to out the instructions issued to us horn time to time by the district raaio -1? the regulations empower the disci icv radio inspector to . I “ st . ru ®L" s ld t out duties which rightly should be per formed by his own staff? Has secretarv of the G.P.O. exceeded his auithortY and acted ultra vires in appointing “while it is true that the Amateur Radio Society of Wellington cad nominate the four honorary radio for appointment, it is equally true that it was solely at the suggestion of the V. and T Department, and it was not until the proposal was considered at tiio separate m JLgs of the society that the members decided to accept the suggestion of the Department. It was thought by the members of the society that, besides acting in the interests of the Band T. Department and the Broadcastink Company by compelling ‘ poachers to pay their license tees, the honorary radio inspectors could perform a useful service for all the great body of hsten-ors-in by endeavouring to reduce the very serious "interference ’ occasioned by howling valves through the mishandling of private receiving sets aud the use of prohibited circuits. If the honorary radio inspectors have no official right to request admittance to the private residences (licensed radio stations, according to the regulations) of licensed listeners-in, and a refusal to grant admittance carries no penalty, the endeavours of the honorary radio inspectors to see that the regulations are being observed will be completely nullified so far as the reduction of "interference” is concerned. A definite report has been made to the acting district radio inspector that certain licensed listeners-in have stated they will refuse admittance to the honorary radio inspectors. It remains to be seen whether the Radio Society of Wellington or their members whom they nominated for appointment as honorary radio inspectors will accept the position now disclosed by the secretary of the G.P.O. in his published statement. The honorary radio inspectors propose to have the situation reviewed, for they are in doubt as to whether honorary radio inspectors without official authority can be of any value to the general bodv of listeners-in, no matter how us<* ful "they may be to the P. and 1 - Department and the Broadcasting Comnanv bv increasing tho funds of the Demrtment and lhe company through Peking out. those who e ™ d< £ paT ' ing their license fees.—We are, etc., THEBE HONOMMJBWTr-RADIO