FOREIGN WIRELESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22427, 25 May 1936, Page 11

FOREIGN WIRELESS

COMPETITION WITH CABLES ACTION BY BRITAIN URGED (Received May 24, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. May 23 Mr. John Denison-Pender, joint managing director of Cables and Wireless. Limited, and of Imperial and International Communications Company, Limited, speaking at the annual meeting of the former concern, emphasised the ev-er-increasing competition of wireless services, of which 150 had been established since 1928. chiefly by foreign countries. Many of these had been set up at uneconomic rates for the purpose of fostering foreign trade. For instance, Italy had undertaken to subsidise a company for 40 years. The Italian Government also specially facilitated the collection of traffic and repairs to cables. The gravity of the position was aggravated by continual proposals to inaugurate direct foreign wireless services with Empire points where adequate cables already exist, added Mr. Denison-Pender. Such services would frustrate the oblects which the Cable Conference in 1929 endeavoured to attain. Moreover, the maintenance of efficient cables was essential in view of Imperial defence. Mr. Denison-Ponder stated that the British Government had refused to convene an Imperial Cable and Wireless Conference to consider the matter. "Accordingly," ho said, "wo requested that 'communications' should bo included in the agenda for the Imperial Conference in London next year." The traffic index of Cables and Wireless, Limited, showed a decline compared with last year, offsetting the favourable impression made by the accounts issued on May 17. Some selling followed Mr. Denison-Pender's, intimation that there is no present prospect of a rearrangement of capital to include provision for preference arrears.