EMPIRE COMMUNICATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18853, 4 May 1923, Page 7

EMPIRE COMMUNICATIONS

IMPERIAL WIRELESS CHAIN WATTING FOR NEW ZEALAND AND INDIA. Frees Association—-By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, May 2. In the House of Commons Sir W. Joyn-son-Hicks (Postmaster-General), in replying to a question relating to the dominions said that Canada and Australia had contributed for services, but the policies of New Zealand and India had not been settled.—A. and .N.Z. Cable. There has been considerable delay in the establishment of the wireless chain throughout the Empire, and in sharplycensuring this delay the London Times recently drew attention to the fact that many months had passed since the imperial Conference pledged itself to support the scheme lor an Empire wireless chain, and noted that the links in that girdle had yet to be forged. “The people of the dominions are still dependent upon the cable service for their news,” it said. “It is essential, therefore, that this service should be both cheap and efficient. In the House of Commons Mr Kellaway has said that there were demands from all quarters for far lower rates on the Imperial cable, but added that he ‘had to have regard for the solvency of the service. ’ He mentioned the fact that there was a deferred rate whereby press messages could be sent to Canada at 2jd a word and to Australia and New Zealand at 4£d a word. How far a reduction in these rates would affect the_ ‘solvency of the service’ Mr Kellaway did not state. The fact that it is possible to grant a deferred incidentally, can apply only to the limited proportion of messages wherein urgency is not essential —suggests that there are slack periods when the cable is not fully occupied. Surely it would be better to arrange that it be kept employed, even at a cheap rate, than to allow it to remain idle. Furthermore, it cannot be denied that press messages have a distinct value in stimulating ordinary traffic. The more the business man in the dominions knows about London the more likely ho is to deal with London. THE PACIFIC CABLE. QUESTION OF DUPLICATION. VANCOUVER, May 2. The laying of the duplicate cable will begin from Fanning Island in July, and will finish at Bamfield in August.—A. and N.Z. Cable. SYDNEY TO AUCKLAND SECTION. (Peb United Pbess Association.) WELLINGTON, May 2. Referring to to-day’s message regarding the duplication of the Pacific cable, the Post and Telegraph Department states that the laying of the cable begins at Sydney in July, finishing at Auckland in August. The duplication of the cable from Fiji to Bamfield has not yet been decided upon.

It was recently announced by Mr J. A. Milward (manager in’ Australia of the Pacific Cable Board) that the duplication of the Pacific cable had been decided upon with a view to increasing the efficiency of the service. Contracts were placed with the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, of Greenwich, for the construction of the Sydney to Auckland and Auckland to Fiji sec tion, and this work is to be proceeded with immediately. The duplication of the remaining portion—from Fiji to Vancouver—has been postponed, according to Mr Milward, pending experiments with a new type of c'able. The above message from Vancouver appears to be based on a misconception.