NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY Registered for transmission through the post as a newspaper. MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1924. EMPIRE WIRELESS.

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1924, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY Registered for transmission through the post as a newspaper. MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1924. EMPIRE WIRELESS.

While New Zealand is awaiting information from the Imperial Government before making any move in the direction of establishing its section of the Empire wireless system, Australia is eager to set up dependable means of communication. The Wireless Agreement Bill, now before tlie Federal Parliament, authorises the adoption of -the beam system of wireless, the proposal to establish a high-power station being abandoned. The Commouwealth Government 'has forced the hand of the British Government, which recently consented, somewhat grudgingly it is true, to provide "corresponding installations in Britain" for Australian unci South African beam

services. For a long time, of course, the Imperial authorities refused to make any concession. Until recently Mr Mac Donald's Government refused to permit the Marconi Company to traffic with wireless messages within the Empire, except Canada, insisting upon State control and the hise of the high-power system. The Government's high power station at Rugby, to be completed by the end of this

year, was to conduct the Empire wireless service. The Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Bruce, demanded the right to contract for a high-power station to deal solely with the growing Australian need for a daily wireless service, and with tho consent of the British Government the Australian Wireless Board contracted with Amalgamated Wireless, Limited, for the erection of t*ie necessary station. Delay occurred, however, because "the British Government made no definite arrangements for the corresponding station in England. Then the discovery of the beam system was announced. It was claimed that a beam station capable of communicating between Britain and Australia could be built at less than half the cost of a highpower station, and that working costs would te cheaper as lower power would serve the needs of the beam system. This system has been tested with successful results, and Australia has adopted it. According to one of Saturday's cablegrams, Mr Bruce has stated that the capital cost of fhe beam system to Australia will probably be less than £120,000, whereas the high-power station originally proposed would have cost 'half a million. It is expected that the installation can be completed in nine or ten months, and that it will give a considerably faster service than the high-power station would have done. Negotiations concerning charges are still proceeding with the British Government, which will control the service in its own territory; but there should be no great delay in concluding an agreement. The progress made by the Commonwealth Government suggests that it. is time that New Zealand bestirred itself in the matter of wireless. The beam system suggests possibilities for this country in the way of dire-t communication with Great Britain at a cheap cost. There is also tho possible alternative of messages through t'he Australian station. Although Australia will not have its system in operation iintil about the middle of next year, it is not too early for New Zealand to bo giving the subject serious attention.