RADIO-TELEPHONE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 134, 4 December 1930, Page 18

RADIO-TELEPHONE

HOW SYDNEY HEARD

LINK IN GREAT SYSTEM

The radio-telephone service between j Australia and New Zealand was inaugurated by a conversation between (ho Acting-Prime Minister (Mr. Fenton) from his office in Canberra with j | (lie New Zealand Minister for Homo : I Affairs (Sir Apirana Ngata) in Wei-! jliiigton, who represented the Acting-j j Prime Minister for the Dominion (Mr. Ransom), says the "Sydney Morning Herald." ■ . A representative gathering of citi- | xens listened to the conversation, by I means of a eutthig-in device establishii;tl in the board room of Amalgamated j Wireless (Australasia), Limited, in I York street, Sydney. • It was possible jlo follow the two-way conversations easily, though a portion was marred by interference caused by Morse sigi'uals from a French wireless, station in i Xoumea. ' This was remedied later, after which many private conversations took place between Australia and New Zealand, the service being entirely satisfactory. | In opening tho service, the ActingPrime Minister (Mr. Fen ton) '.expressed delight that it had been established and expressed the hope that it 'would bo the means of developing trade and commerce between the two countries, and still further cementing the friendly relations between, the peoples of two lands that had so much in common. "TOMATOES." ; Some amusement was caused when Sir Apirann. Ngata used the Maori word "Tenakoe" (a greeting), which Mr. FcntoJi interpreted as "tomatoes." When its meaning was explained, M>. Fcnton admitted that he did not un : derstand the Maori language very well. Sir Apirana Ngata expressed the hope, tliat Australia would soon find a way' out of present difficulties, and that there would be a good season for wheat and wool. : Mr. E. T. Ksk explained that all the apparatus for the Australian trans-' mitting and receiving stations liad been manufactured in tho company's works, in Sydney, which had also supplied 80 per cent.'of tlic apparatus used in tho Xcw Zealand Government stations. He was proud of the fact that all this apparatus had been designed and manufactured by Australians. Tho opening of this service placed the New Zealand telephone subscribers in communication, from their home or office, with the telephone users in Australia, and, by means of relays, with 2,000,000 telephone subscribers iii Great Britain, 'and 19,----500,000 in the .United 'States, apart from connections now available to Cuijada and 23 countries in Europe. lii all about 50,000,000 users were available by means ■of tho radio telephone to subscribers in Australia and New Zealand. Air Commodore Kingsford Smith also spoke. ' The Deputy -Director of ■ Posts and Telegraphs (Mr. Eitto) said ho was able to assure prospective users of the service that they would be able to get a satisfactory connection. They hail" ■just commenced to explore tho region of the ether, and therowas no knowing wliat great future there was in store for.the human race in tlie use and development of radio.