PUBLIC UTILITIES

Evening Star, Issue 19931, 30 July 1928, Page 6

PUBLIC UTILITIES

GABLES AND WIRELESS SCHEME EMPIRE CO-OPERATION DEMONSTRATED (British Official Wireles*.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, RUGBY, July 29. (Received July 30, at noon.) The report of the Imperial Wireless and Cable Conference now awaits discussion by the Empire Governments before effect can bo given to its recommendations. Meanwhile it is being examined closely in the Press. The sweeping nature of the recommendations is recognised on all hands, and ‘ The Times ’ says that from the economic and political viewpoints they are of the most far-reaching importance. “ Economically they inaugurate a new era in the history of Empire communication, which is itself an achievement ot the highest order. Politically their unanimous character is a remarkable monument to imperial eo-oporatiun. These far-sighted recommendations provide beyond doubt the right solution to what but a short time ago seemed an insoluble problem. Any less bold and comprehensive scheme would have been doomed to failure from the outset. Thu solution proposed is built up on two fundamental principles —unity of control and private enterprise—neither ot which could bo neglected without the certainty of failures. By combining the whole system of Empire communications in ono vast amalgamation it has rendered possible the and economies of a modern large scale enterprise—scientific co-ordination, the elimination of wasteful competition, and all the opportunities tor economy which theso alone can bring. The ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ congratulates the conference on tiio proposals, which, it says, constitute a revolutionary reorganisation ot all the telegraphic services linking the Empire together. Jt says that the arguments in favour of these sweeping changes arc irresistible, except on the ground—which it describes as a purely doctrinaire point of view—that national ownership is a thing sacred in itself to which all other considerations must give way.

Among tho Liberal and Labour newspapers some exception is taken to the report on these grounds, and it is clear that tho opposition in Parliament will concentrate primarily on tho Stale ownership issue when the report is debated in the Commons next week.

The ‘ Daily Herald ’ protests vigorously against the abandonment of tho principle of public ownership, and the ‘ Manchester Guardian ’ questions the wisdom of tho British and Dominion Governments selling their cable and wireless services to a private combine. Tho ‘Guardian’ demands careful consideration of whether adequate safeguards are provided in tho report to ensure against the subordination of public interests to profit-making in tho proposed new combine. The ‘Daily Chronicle’ (Liberal), on the other hand, reminds the advocates of State ownership that many States are involved in this reorganisation, ft adds: “Can it be thought that State enterprise, run jointly by such a multiplicity of States, would be a hopeful way of dealing with a business proposition, even if (as is not the case) they were all keen on such an experiment. Nobody who does not make it a dogma to insist on State ownership in all conditions could find the conditions hero auspicious, so we are brought almost inevitably to the solution of an Imperial public utility company such as the conference’s report suggests. Safeguards aro needed, but these points aro covered explicitly and adequately in the report.”