THE BUSY RADIO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23857, 11 July 1939, Page 14

THE BUSY RADIO

FROM SHIP TO SHORE LAST YEAR'S MESSAGES A world-wide system of radio communication is provided by the stations, operated by the New Zealand Post Office Passenger liners on the route between the Dominion and England are never out of touch with New Zealand messages being exchanged throughout the whole voyage. Similarly the trans-Tasman liners carry or, a fairly large exchange of telegraphic traffic, though the volume is smaller than other classes of ship-to-shore radio traffic owing to the fact that the radio telephone is available for communication between the Awatea ana the shore. . That the ship-to-shore radio business has reached substantial proportions is shown by the figures for the past year when 31,087 messages were handled by the New Zealand radio stations A special concession for ship-to-shore messages came into force in September 1936, with extremely encouraging results, as the traffic for last year compared with that for 1936 shows an increase of 71 per cent., equal to 12,907 messages. '..,.. The biggest factor in this increase has been the ship-letter-telegram service, enabling passengers travelling on most of the important shipping routes to make easy contact with the Dominion. Passengers on ships in thf intercolonial run, as well as subsidised mail steamers operating between New Zealand, San Francisco and Vancouver, are able to transmit a radio message from the ship to a New Zealand address at the rate of 2s 6d for 10 words, and 3d for each additional word. Passengers on all other vessels, including the liners running between New Zealand and England, may send a ship-letter-telegram at any point of the inward or outward voyage at the rate of 5s for 20 words, and 3d for each additional word. These messages are telegraphed on the inland lir.es in New Zealand so that they can be delivered by post on the morning following lodgment with the ship's wireless officer. Last year the ship-letter-telegram traffic alone reached the following proportions:— Words. From overseas ships 61,638 From New Zealand and Australian ships 7-953 Total .. 69,591 These figures compared with the previous year show an improvement of over 37 per cent., or 19.091 words.