CABLES AND WIRELESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19810, 3 December 1927, Page 14

CABLES AND WIRELESS.

CONTROVERSY IN BRITAIN. Attitude of government. MATTER; BEING DISCUSSED. FINANCIAL PAPER'S SURVEY. - By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received December 2, 11.15 p.m.) A. and N.Z.-Sun. ' LONDON. Deo. 2. The newspapers are paying increased attention to the controversy regarding tho beam and the cable systems. An expert, writing in the Financial Times, refers especially to the reference made by the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. S. M, Bruce, io the subject, when he. said the 45 per cent, withdrawal of traffic from the cables referred only to the Australian branch of the Pacific system, and to the cheaper classes of the traffic on that system. The Financial News, after a lengthy jtwo-coluinii survey,' concludes that as long as competition between radio and the cables is carried on on equal terms, and au long as the Governments that control wireless do not work their systems at a loss, the cable companies will be able to thrive.

They may have lost their monopoly, the paper says, but the developments of economies, together with the increase in the traffic, will leave room for the operation of both systems. The managing director of Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., Mr. E. T. Fisk, referring to the statement attributed to Sir G. Clarke, the managing director of the Telegraph Construction Branch, that the cable companies are wealthy enough to undercut the wireless rates to such an extent as to ruin the wireless companies, said that; if the cable people bring their rates down, the public, and particularly the business commuuity, would, benefit " I do not think," he said, "that the wireless companies will be alarmed whatever is done. The business community, we may be sure, will never forget fho great advantage and the savings of hundreds of thousands of pounds annually, which they are able to enjoy as a resiiit of the efforts of those who fought for and pioneered the development of .wireless, in the face of much opposition Sir. Fisk challenged the statement that •the cables were more accurate than the wireless system, and he claimed that if one of iliem was more accurate, that one was tho wireless. It is understood that while the Government is opposed to the appointment of a Royal Commission to co-ordinate the cable and the beam services, it, believes useful results could be obtained by a representative committee. The Government recognises the strategic importance of maintaining efficient cable services. Discussions are in progress with these objects in view. ■ . \ .

The Dailj Mail says:—" While the future may belong to wireless, the cables are unlikely to vanish for many years. They possess the advantage of secrecy a;ud certainty, because they are not intercepiable, and do not fade away, as does wireless, But the cable companies must utilise every modern improvement i« the tight for existence. The new fcrighS]>eed cables- show that the outlook for the cables is not desperate, even il it.be not. roseate."