EMPIRE WIRELESS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 September 1923, Page 5

EMPIRE WIRELESS

POST OFFICE CONTROL. WHOLE SCHEME ENDANGERED. (‘'Sydney Sun” Service.) LONDON, September 20. s The announcement that the Governn ment proposes to introduce new cons ditions in connection with the Empire '■ wireless scheme, deciding that the whole service must not only be run by ' the Post Office, but with Post Office ’ officials, over whom private licensed companies would have no control, caused consternation among the radio companies. Signor Marconi declined to comment, saying that he did not wish to com- - plicate matters lor the Postmaster- . General.' The Post Office was equally reticent, nevertheless it is evident that there has been a serious hitch in the negotiations. The matter is likely to be hotly fought out at the Imperial Conference. The Empire Press Union has given authorisation to say notwithstanding the Government’s announcement that private enterprise was no longer debarred in establishing communication between England and the Dominions, a deadlock has arisen. Apparently Sir L. Worthington Evans’s decision to issue licenses to commercial companies means nothing, because he intends to impose conditions impossible of fulfilment. No business enterprise or company could raise two millions capital unless given the full management and : control thereof. That is what the ' Government seriously proposes. It means running a State service at the ' joint expense of commercial enterprise and the public. There is still little in the prospect, 1

but interminable discussions by committees. The spasmodic vascillating and policies of successive postmasters have taken away in turn the support of great radio companies and Dominion Governments, and now finally has lost the confidence of tho British public, who see ever more and more costly obstruction) placed in the way of practical application of radio telegraphy to the public service.