WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14703, 10 December 1909, Page 5

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

LINKING UP THE PACIFIC. CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. Press Association—By Telegraph-:Copyright. MELBOURNE, December 9. In the Federal Senate Senator Milieu stated that a conference on wireless telegraphy mil open in Melbourne on the 15th inst. It will deal with the question of communication with the islands of the "psleni Pacific, as well as Australia and New Zealand. The Hieli Commissioner ol the Western Pacific will be represented. MESSAGE FROM THE MAKURA. SYDNEY, December 9 deceived Dee. 10, at O.&o a.m.) has been received that the Makura, oa which wireless telegraphic apparatus is installed. !,ad comZTf*V" th V ' a " COl,Ver ' ? 520 miles distant. She reported " All well »

O'KOM 0111 l OWN COBREBrOKDEKT.) WELLINGTON, December 9. the JZ,"' f I ' CC ° nt! - V rolil ' al fram he poMi on of supenntendent of electric 11 c>, ha, been appointed as New Zca"s "Prcsentalivo al the Australasian Conference on Wireless Telegraphy

Nothing- in |1 10 annals of the sea has been ulnefa to avert a colossal wicrilie- of !>»'»».n life. The rescue of the ps n-ors and crews of tho ili-faled Amerfc,,, \&£ Kepubbc, -lorida, and Slavouia, ,u,d the sa e transfer in mid-ocean of nearly 3000 "•sons to other steamers summoned \, I ben aid from hundreds of miles away lulls mysterious agency, will always bs remembered as opening a new epoch of ,„„,•;. mie experience. The practical advantages <> l>e game I from the installation of radio'telegraphy can no longer be doul,tcd, and "i He wider strategic aspects of defence 1 ac fie, it would seem to bo indispensable a» there are many circumstances in this connection t„ which communication by Luho-tecgrapliy might mein „|| the difference between, safely and destruction. 1-Wiule proposals have now been made lo the Commonwealth and New Zealand a«ki„g for the corporation of AuMinlia and New Zealand in establishim- ; .»d maintaining the proposed radio kvMCCB. Owing to the extensive d~,-doi>ment " eTt. of ih v r i nci!Kilishi!i *' ™i h Loin r Tot ,! h W»S "ml passenger raffle from Australia and New Z ? ul o „cC it 1 *> Inon found imperative that some means °, ,r 5 f i 1 ,)1 ".°, should bo U > , W,UI ' ki oUtsk! - wo - kl - «>t onlv •iltotd to. busircss interests, but lor the preservation of life and property, „, U1 f 0: . 0 eel,™ ~, case of war. At, the present "'»'• o earners crowded with papers Sd- Tf,. t,U ' 0L: = l 1 «« » Fii 9.1"' A "» t "«'»«jnd -N«w Zealand to 1 iji. Samoa Tonga Tainai, Vauvau, the .0 and Socety Islands, and aro away Horn all ma,,., 0 f eommunicatioi. in case «f accident from L| to 28 days. Onlytst . , 1 , '•'•'"'and was est en a >sl«ml, end the pa.co.ngers .„d f ew « 7 ferod givat l,ard s hi„ for nearly fl w months, through there being no Ln of commm,«ah„ g with search =partioHr the adjoining islands. With radio stations scaton t| w Australian and New Zealand coasts, s ress such as this would he almost an 1 "Possibility, as it ,s the intention of the pipping companies to install radio equip1' r 0 " ! ,o,r I»«»««wr ship, immediately m»l °« T arail ' , . blo ,0 intc «<»»- mnmeate with when required. bow" 1 !'? 1 , , , 1 \ ,, !' i " cipa! R ra "t«-of islands bemg control al by. various Governments and merests ttie. project was initiated'with a Mew tccsfabhshMiß- and maintaining the I'.oposed radio services by ~i?ans of fli« joint, co-operation of thoso Governments siil|ipmg and trading companies mutually melted in the welfare, development, anil administration of the Pacific It 's greatty to the interest of 11,0 Imperial ~„d Inderal authorities, and also of the New Zealand, United States, Ger- >';>», ami French Governments. tl,„t rauio ecgraph cominunication should ho maintailed between the islands and the cable, systems of the world through the Pacific cable at, F,.,i. Prclimiuai-.v negotiations were opened up l, ist ycm . kMx the va , ioiK Oovcrnments and the companies interested in the Pacific, and as the assurances of support, were so encouraging, tho Pacific Radioie og-rapn Compaiiy was formed in London v.-ith a capital of £60.000, for the purpose ol establishing and mainkining a radiote egmph service between the chief Pacific Islands. Papua, Australia, and New Zealand. Jie white population of the islands is ; so scattered that unless reasonable eubSiUiw aro fo.lhcoming from tlw Governneiir.s concerned, it would be impossible f 0 „ an efiicieut radio service lo bo maintained oui.ct the revenues forthcoming from local iiusincv*. The scheme, however, presents catures apart from its commercial advantages which cannot, be ignored. It. is of material importance to the defence ot tl'e f-ommonwealth and New Zealand that J lie authorities should know what is happening 111 the islands of Ihc South 1. acilic. Under nroiscnt circumstances an hostile fleet or privateers could hide among the islands for months, and make raids on Australia ind i\ev.- Zealand, besides attacking sr.ippmg, destroying cables, etc.; tint with the establishment of a complete radio service bohver-n Australia. New Zealand, and the islands, this danger would then be reduced to a. minimum, 11s it, would then be ■,mi>wib!. ? for.ihe wricrcaboittfl of a foe to be long unreported.

As asf and-by to the Pacific cable, in ease of a breakdown or destruction in limeof war. it would bo cf th" greatest value, besides a moans of communicating with our warshms over an inimenso area of the I ncilic. .Anart from the undoubted conveniens and protection the proposed radio wvvios offers, it. is estimated that it will also he a financial bench; to the Commonwealth and Not Zealard as a valuable feeder to the revenue* of the Pacific cable so much so that it, is prohable that their interest, in the increase of business to llio cable, by reducine theannual dcliciencv now lo bo made good every year on ils'work mi,', will more Ihan- pay for the Nilvn'dio* required from Australia and New Zealand to enable the, proposed Pacific radio service.? bcinj stablisliKl and maintained.