WIRELESS AT SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19663, 15 June 1927, Page 13

WIRELESS AT SEA.

AMENDING REGULATIONS.

CONFERENCE IN AUCKLAND. INCLUDING SMALLER SHIPS. VIEWS OF LOCAL INTERESTS. The question of the extension of wireless service to a smaller type of steamers than is now required by the regulations of the Marine Department has been raised, and possible amendment of the regulaj tions in that direction is under consideration. Mr. G. C. Godfrey, secretary of the department, was in Auckland yesterday, and presided over a conference with representatives of the local shipping interests, the object'of which was to ascertain how far they were prepared to meet the Government in the matter. There were present : Captain Hammond, manager of the Northern Company; Mr. D. Carter, local manager for the Union Steam Ship Company; Mr. V. Ryder, secretary of the Merchant Service Guild; Mr. T. Anderson, for the Seamen's Union; representatives of the various other shipping services trading out of Auckland ; and Mr. E. C. Gage, district telegraph engineer, whose department conducts the examinations of marine officers qualifying -for certificates as wireless operators and signallers. Examination of Officers. The position under the present regulations is that wireless is required to be installed on steamers which carry more than 12 passengers, those of 1600 tons gross register, and those which, with their crews, carry more than 25 persons. Apart from the main question of the conditions governing the compulsory use of wireless, a number of other points were discussed by the conference, such as the extent to which commercial messages should be despatched on the air from ships, the manner in which the examination of officers for wireless certificates is conlucted, the degree of sending ■or receiving capacity required to be shown by such candidates at their examinations, and the extent to which officers should be allowed to use the air for practice purposes, in order to keep themselves in operating form. An Understanding Beached. The understanding eventually arrived at was that there was no objection on the part of local shipping interests to the lowering of the standard of vessels on which wireless shall be required from those with complements of 25 to ships with complements of 15. On the examination question there was evidence on the part of the Telegraph Department of a readiness to see that full allowance is made in the tests for nervousness on the part of candidates. Altogether, there was a readiness on all sides to make concessions with a view to assuring a wireless service that would guarantee the best possible protect ion to the travelling public and crews. Further Conference in Wellington At the conclusion of the conference general appreciation was expressed by the shipping representatives of the courtesy of the Minister of Marine. Hon. G. J. Anderson, in consulting the interests concerned in the maritime service before framing or amending the regulations After Mr. Godfrey has similarly met the shipping people of Wellington, the Minister will proceed to make such amendments' of the regulations as seem to him desirable.