AMATEUR WIRELESS

Otago Witness, Issue 3154, 26 August 1914, Page 4

AMATEUR WIRELESS

YOUNG MAN FINED. At the Hastings sitting of the Magistrate’s Court on Friday a lad named Eric Battershill was called upon to show cause why he should not be sentenced on a charge of unlawfully establishing a wireless telegraph plant at Hastings, for which he was convicted on August 13, 1913, and ordered to oome up for sentence when called upon (says the Napier Telegraph). Detective Butler stated that defendant had been wilfully defying the department and gave trouble for 18 months. He had been ordered to dismantle the plant. He applied to the Postmaster-general for permission to work it, but he was instructed to dismantle it at once. This he did not do, and he was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence. In the present instance the aerial was found erected on the occasion of a first visit, and on the second visit everything was dismantled and some apparatus was found hidden in a tree. This wireless could secure messages over a distance of 500 miles, which was very dangerous, especially at this juncture. James M'Dermott, sub-telegraph engineer, who visited defendant’s residence in company with the postmaster (Mr Perrin) and the detective on August 6. To Mr Scanned (who appeared for the defence), the witness said there was nothing to indicate that the variometer had ever been used since the prior prosecution. There had been much trouble in New Zealand owing to amateur wireless telegraphists. The amateur stations, which were not made to be tuned accurately, and which were not always competent to receive signals, persisted in sending signals at the same time oa boats on the coast, or any other station, are sending or receiving messages from Government stations. Business men had to travel a great deal and do a lot of their work from boats and wireless stations, and amateurs sending messages interfered with the transmission. As none of the owners of these unlicensed stations were sworn to secrecy, they were in a position to read 1 every important busines or domestic message, and were under no obligation to secrecy. There were a few licensed amateur stations, and he had reason to believe there were unlicensed ones. Ho believed the Government had granted permission to experiment in laboratories. The aerial must be confined to the room (laboratory). Did not see defendant’s apparatus connected with the aerial. Mr Scannel said he had been convicted of the first offence, and it was unnecessary to refer to it. Since this conviction there had been no cause of complaint. Defendant deposed that since conviction he had not used the outside installation, and the wireless was confined to his room. His Worship said that defendant had erected another aerial plant and all essential appliances were found in his possession to communicate for a long distance outside. He might not have used the aerial, but he had all the apparatus necessary to do so. Hi* Worship was bound to believe defendant when ho said he had not communicated with outside, but he could do so, and the serious position described by Mr M'Dermott was accentuated by the war. Defendant wouid bo convicted and fined £5, without costa. Mr Scannel pointed out that the lad had probably never seen so much money in all his life’ The Magistrate said that, if hi» parents had to pay, it must be remembered that they were aware of the facts, and dm not stop defendant. ,