THE MIRACLE OF WIRELESS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 6 April 1926, Page 2

THE MIRACLE OF WIRELESS

The introduction of "broadcasting'' la-;? been referred to as ranking in importance with the introduction of printing by William Caxton in the fifteenth century, comments the Sydney Daily Telegraph. How many of Caxtcn's contemporaries had any idea of the important pari that printing was destined to play in the history of mankind'.' And how many of us in these days are able fully to appreciate the influence thai wireless is certain to exert, upon the future of the world ? A cable message from New York, mentioned the fact that first news story ever transmitted across the Atlantic by wireless telephone was received by the Associated Press from London on Sunday last, and it was quite correctly referred to as an epoch-marking event. ■Wr are livint? in ;i scientific age. and iicthing has been more remarkable than the progress made in the development of wireiess during recent years. Wit|iin a year of the general introduction Of broadcasting in England something like 500,0 CG receiving sets had been installed in, the homes of the people, and probably two millions of the inhabitants enjoyed the programmes transmitted daily, from the various broadcasting centres. The working radius of a broadcast wireless transmitter is not confined to the narrow limits of a network of lines, as in ordinary telephony, but it spread over a huge area, any point in , which is available for reception. Whether only me or a million people erect aerials and listen to the programmes radiated from the central source makes no difference at. all to the individual. In Australia, as in other'countries, broadcasting is making rapid headway, e.nd many thousands of people W'e finding delight in the concert programmes. and reaping intellectual profit from the .lectures. But the raid.-' message from New York is an indication that Hie influence of wireless is extending in' oilier directions. It, is going to have a revolutionising effect upon the Wc/Id's great newspapers. As long ago as October. J 923, Sir Robert Donald, then chairman of the council of the Empire Press Union, remarked, on tiic occasion of a representative deputation to the Imperial Economic Conference: ''The caoles are entirely inadequate to meet the needs of the Empire. . . . What is wanted is not only cheaper rates, but speedy and adequate service. For these things we must look to wireless.'' Sir Robert Donald is justified in the event. The .successful transmission of a full news story by wireless telephony across the Atlantic is a news story in itself of the greatest importance. There is. and there will remain for many years to come, plenty of work for the cable services; but more and more as the years go' on we may expect to find wire, less supplanting the cable as the chief medium of communication, both in regard to newspaper (messages and those relating to trade and commerce. Not long ago Marconi announced that in a comparatively short time people in Australia, would lie talking to their friends in England by moans of the wireless telephone, with the same ease and clearness (let us hope it will be better than that !) as wr- in Sydney now speak through (he telephone to our friends in Melbourne. It was on Mav 30, 1924, that, with what he termed "rather experimental arrangements," intelligible speech was transmitted for Hie first 'time from England to Sydney. The. experiment succeeded the very "fii'ft time it was tried, .Mr E. T. l-'is'k being in charge of the receivers at Sydney. As managing director of Amalgamated Wireless. Lit.died. Mr Fisk has been very closely concerned with Marconi in his experiments since that time, and alter bis recent visit to England he is more than ever convinced of the great part that wireless is going to play in the immediate future in the world's affairs. Besides Mr Fisk we have ii, Australia n select band of amateur investigators— Mr Mnchimin, Mr Spencer Nolan, and others- who, are rendering great service in furthering the development of this most f'tscinating science. In New Zealand, too. some very able young men are carrying out experiments with signal success. Two-way communication by speech has been established between these countries and England ami America. The CV/irimissioner for Australia in the United States of America. Sir .Tames Elder, has projected his voice through the ether from Pittsburg to Sydney and Melbourne, and it is not too milch lo expect thai ere long we shall be listening to the Prime Minis Ter speaking in the British House of Commons, or the American President delivering a message lo Congress.