SPIRIT OF COMPETITION ESSENTIAL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 110, 10 May 1923, Page 7

SPIRIT OF COMPETITION ESSENTIAL

CO-OPERATION WITH MARCONI

SPEEDY DECISION TO SAVE

IRRITATION.

(ONIIBD PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPTRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN - NEW ZEALAND CAILI ASSOCIATION.) (Received 10th May, 10 a.m.) LONDON, 9th May. A special correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" says that the PostmasterGeneral (Sir W. .Joynson^Hicks), in carrying out the Government's recently declared polioy in favour of both the Post Office and private enterprise providing direct wireless communication with India and the Dominions, is encountering difficulties. Sir William has been conferring with the Marconi Company with a view to their co-operation* with the Government in conducting an Empire wireless system, but no solution has been reached. The company has contracts for the provision of high-power stations in Britain with Canada, South Africa, and Australia, and these are not variable without the consent of the Dominions.

The Postmaster-General wants to establish effective competition between the Post Office and private enterprise, and a partnership with the Marconi Company on the Australian plan is ruled out— anything like a monopoly is beyond disqussion. There now remain two courses, firstly, a regional division, and, secondly, a centralised control by co-operation. It would not be advantageous to try to separate Empire from world wireless, and the only alternative appears to be co-op-eration and centralisation of all wirelees. Unless practical decisions are reached speedily wireless, instead of being a factor in the Empire unity, may-become a source of irritation and misunderstanding.