THE TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15748, 26 April 1913, Page 6

THE TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

SPEECH BY HON. MR RHODES. WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. IMPROVED TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION. \ SECOND PACIFIC CABLE. At the opening of the Post Office at Ravensbournc yesterday, the Hon. Mill. Heaton Rhodes, Postmaster-general, made .some interesting remarks on the work of the Department of Post and Telegraphs. Touching first on wireless telegraphy, he said that tho higli power station at Awanui, 120 miict* north of Auckland, had been completed. This was a station of 35 kilowatts, the power for which was obtained from an 80 h.p. gas engine. Teste had for some time past been made to and from the Pennant Hills station at Sydney, in accordance with the contracts, and would bo continual for some time. They had been fairly satisfactory so far, but lie was making special arrangements for a series of tests of so searching a character that' there should be little fear"'that the station would fail on any point when opened. The aerial of the station was suspended from a angle mast 400 feet 'high, and was of umbrella shape. Tho station at Awarua Plains (near Bluff) would bo similar to that of Awanui. It was expected that this station would be completed in about two months' time, when similar testG would bo carried out. These two high power stations, it was anticipated, would be capable of carrying on' wireless communication with Australia at any hour of the day or night. Those stations would bo of tho greatest value, because they would form part of a chain to Australia, India, and England, and it would be possible to bo in touch with the Britis'.i warships in the Pacific. He did not know how far the wireless would be used for commercial purposes. The Postmaster-general of Victoria, who visited New Zealand some months ago, was anxious that it should be need commercially, and if possible l ho would arrange a scale of fees, so that it might bo so used, At Chatham Islands a low-power station of 2j- kilowatts was in course of erection. Buildings wero being eroded under tho supervision of the department's officers. Tubular steel masts 150 feet high would be sent from Wellington in a. few weeks' time, and would be followed alittlo later by the electrical apparatus. TJio .wireless stations at Wellington and Auckland were working vPvy satisfactorily and were proving a great boon to shipping interests. As already announced, tenders had boon called for full automatic telephone cxt'/iangcs at, ei;c places in the dominion,—viz., Auckland, Wellington, Blenheim, Hamilton, Masterton, and Oaina.ru., Tenders would close at the beginning of next month. Agents, representing the principal automatic telephone firms of the world, had been in Wellington ascertaining conditions, and there was evidenco. ill at there would be keen competition. The new system would • bo extended rto other places later. A long-distanco telephone circuit had just been erected between Auckland and Wellington for tho purpose mainly of telephonic communication. Tho circuit was at present being used for telephone work only after 6 p.m., but it would ultimately bo available for bureau purposes at all hours. Conversation over the lino was very distinct. The department had now under consieleration the question of providing a submarine cable across Cook Strait especially adaptable for . telephonic purposes. Tho provision of this cable, in conjunction with the modification and extension of existing' laml lines, would render practicable telephone conversation from Auckland to tho Bluff. Attention was being given by telegraph experts in other lands to directprinting telegraph apparatus. Tho Chief 'Electrician of the department, while abroad recently, saw such instruments at work. A machine which the department had had brought, under its notice was claimed to possess very considerable advantages, and the department was obtaining fuller particulars in regard to it. About matters abroad in which tho public and tho' department were properly interested, lie might inform them that the second Pacific cable connecting Auckland directly with Sydney was proving of considerable benefit. Communication to and from Australia had been expedited to a marked extent by this additional outlet. Considerable attention was being paid by the department, in its many ramifications, to labour-saving devices. Space had been reserved for a model post and telc;rirJi ofticc at tho forthcoming Auckland Exhibition, in which it was intended to show as far as possible how the business of the department was expedited by the use of machinery. An automatic telephone 'exchange set would not bo tho least interesting of the ei'liibits. *