WIRELESS WONDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17311, 7 November 1919, Page 9

WIRELESS WONDERS.

" ♦ ...... POSSIBILITIES IN PACIFIC. NEW ZEALAND TO AUSTRALIA. TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE. [FROM OUR CWN CORRESPONDENT.]

SYDNEY. Oct. 29.

"The possibilties of communication between Australia and New Zealand on a commercial scale are unlimited both for the tireless telegraph and the wireless telephone." said Mr. E. T. Fisk managing director of Amalgamated Wireless, yesterday.

In the light of the recent achievements of wireless telegraphy which has demonstrated its capability of maintaining direct communication across a distance of 12.000 miles, and of the achievements of wireless telephony which has already succeeded in transmitting the human voice across theAtlantic, there is no reason, he declared, whv both telegraph and telephone services by wireless should not be established immediately between the Dominion and the Commonwealth.

The wireless telegraph service would have its o*stj sphere for commercial, social, legal, political and press purposes, in the large number of cases where the telephone cannot be conveniently used, l'rom the beginning the wireless telegraph service could offer an immediate reduction <■! rates by an amount equal to one-third vi the existing cable rates— is, from <-}d to 3d per word for ordinary messages, and a pro rata reduction for press and ether classes of messages. This service would pay handsomely with traffic from 12,1100 to 15,000 words per day, and, because a reduction in cost always creates an increased demand, there is no reason why the traffic should not increase to at >?ast 50,000 words per day. When that injure is reached the wireless charge could be reduced to id per word, plus whatever amount would be charged by the land telegraph authorities for inland transmission.

In addition to establishing communication between Now Zealand and Australia this circuit could provide a. useful means of connecting New Zealand with the highpower stations that the Marconi Company is prepared to erect for direct communication between Australia and England, and which will transmit and receive messages between here and London at two-thirds of the existing cable rates, with further reductions according to the amount of traffic that is offered. It has been authoritatively stated that the use of wireless will probably bring about an eventual reduction in the cost of telegrams between Australia and England to as low as 3d per word. Conversation With Australia.

" The wireless telephone service between Australia and New Zealand, which could be established immediately between the four cities, Sydney, Wellington, Auckland and Melbourne, could, at the commencement, offer to its clients three-minutes' conversations for 155," said Mr. Fisk. " In view of the fact that telephone com munieation between the two countries is impossible by any other means, the extraordinary value of a wireless service will be seen at once, ar 1"a little further consideration will stow its great financial value to those who use it. During three minutes' conversation it should be possible to exchange 300 word- between the callers, and 300 words rm,.u.il conversation would be as effective as at least 600 words exchanged by cable. Six hundred v ords sent by cable between Australia and New Zealand at the present day wouldcost £11, so that a wireless telephone service would immediately offer for 15s something more useful than can be obtained to-day for £11. ' "In the first instance there would be two or three public call offices iii each <ily connected directly to the main wire-b-ss st.itioii. but as the use of the system is extended it will be possible to connect the wireless telephone stations with the ordinary inland exchanges, so that a caller in Bendigo, Victoria, could speak from hs own office directly to his fnend at the latter's office or home in Wanganui. Although 15s fo*' three minutes' conversation offers so great a saving over the cost of cable messages, figures which I have prepared show that with increasing business and extended connection inland this charge could be reduced, and thai a charge of 5s for three minutes' conversation bei nines possible when the connections and the use of the service are extended to a. certain point.

Removal of Isolation. " New Zealand and Australia are two countries occupying highly important positions in the Pacific Ocean where the keenest international competition and rivalry will be seen and felt in the future. The Dominion and the Commonwealth, by reason of their positions and of their vast natural resources, arc destined to grow into the most valuable and important portions of the British Empire. In order to protect themselves and to take advantage of their wonderful possibilities, they must have rapid development and increasing population. In the past the development of these countries has undoubtedly been restricted, because of their isolation and of the great distances which separate, them from other world centres. One of the greatest weapons in the destruction of that isolation will be wireless communication which offers the immediate possibility of cheap and rapid communication v. it all'parts of the world.

Governments Retard Progress. "The only thing which delays the reali«.'lll*ll of these great advantages," he continued, *' is the inertia of our Governments. As long ago a s the year 1910 the Marconi Company was prepared to erect, and operate at its own expense and risk? » chain of high-power wireless "stations throughout the whole of the British Emj. ite, yet to-lay, tune years later, we are no further forward, because the necessary (mvemmeiii sanction could not be ob tained. On 'he other hand, immediately Ih British proposal heram» known the. ticrman Government gave order* to the (rerriian Wireless, company to erect stalione at. mirr- in Germany and m all German colonic.- with the result that upon the outbreak of war the Germans had an asset o! great value in their wireless < oni-imnii'-ation. The Marconi Company v. void prefer to develop its services entirely in British territory, and is prepared to go ahead at once, hut. tin- cin ums':iuce> are sti'h that other countries are getting tiie benefit of the development, while our own are either considering or shelving the. question."