The Star. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1909. WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9736, 31 December 1909, Page 6

The Star. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1909. WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

The publication of the report of the -Wireless Telegraphy Conference has not been long delayed, and the recommend- ., atibnfrof the Conference are of a highly practical nature. . It is proposed to establish high-powerstationg at Sydney, Doubtless Bay and Suva, and mediumpower stations at the Solomons, New Hebrides and Ocean Islands. The cost of the installations in the Commonwealth and New Zealand is to be borne by those countries, whilst that at *Fiji is to be undertaken by the Imperial ■Government, which will pay one-third, the Australian Government, which will ooiitri&ute one-fourth, New Zealand, V&cb>S*ai pay one-sixth, and Fiji, contribution will be one-fourth. ' This Will only commit the dominion to *» very\ mild expenditure, and in view 'Of (the immense benefits to be reaped from the various installations, the country will be quite prepared to face an annual loss, for a fewyears at any rate, •Ithottgh it is almost certain that the 3Pisem will very soon become self-sup-xpoirl>ingi Out own Government has pro- j Vidett during the session which has just j dosed ft* the compulsory equipment of steamers plying off. the coast.) jrf New Zealand with, wireless installations}ana with a chain •' of stations inrdofehbut the Pacific, one of the few. remaining dangers of the sea will \be imnimised to an enormous extent. The jrtsretfiious inarch of science has, resulted • jfo few more marvellous inventions than the transmission of telegram's from country to country without wires, and the improved system has practically an^ufcilatijd space. Sir Joseph Ward, in explaining the details of the suggestions of the Conference, made some mterestHig disclosures as the result of inter- . 'tfeWp he had had with Tesla and Mar.coniu Both , assured him that there Iw-dtdd Be further marvellous' developaients in wireless telegraphy before the dW Year w «* ver y °^» and **e *4<ted that Tesla had informed him that he 'hoped to be able to send wireless messages from a station he was erecting »near New York to New Zealand in such » w*y that they could not be interc*pted; and he also expressed the opinion that before the year was over rhe would be able to telephone over the feame' distance J These confident expres.fiojxi of opinion justify the action of the Government in refraining from making *». practical move for some years past, although the system has been warmly approved of by the Cabinet, and Parliament had already authorised the expenditure of; the necessary money -for establishing stations in New Zealand. , But apparently the tiipe' has now ' ar'Hvlsfl when it b no longer advisable to Y**i]s $9* developments, for the systemv vhjw been practically tested with emineolt|y satisfactory *results. It will not he very many months now before the Post Office; will be accepting telegram^, from travelling steamers for delivery irf A*^s&UmL This will; of course, very ,materifUy minimise the risk of ocean trilling, and it will simply revolutionise the art of. weather forecasting. 3Jhe wireless telegram will beat the 'jAnrto, %h& from this point of view &P^9»? Hi vilue to the country will be "Inestimable. Incidentally it occurs to ?Jna. that it might be possible to arrange lor the equipment of th» Nintfod with 'I* i wirel«ea installation so .that she •Vttigljlt .keep-- in - touch with i^jwing her long absence in the Ahtarcvfe»<j, With a station established in New : Zealand, she would have no difficulty , in transmitting details of her progress. There is an opportunity, here for a public subscription to defray the cost *,«f the wistallation for the southern ex- • pedition, for the explorers will have \quiife enough to, do to find the money ipj tb© general , wants of the voyage undertaking the expense of the *«iefeessiity appliances, for , wireless, teleIt is true that the system' to yet in its infancy, but it is a reWarkabiy, sturdy child. When once a mccessful start is made in the Pacific, » i« <£rtaift that there- will be ' rapid ■crtensipns, and we look confidently to t ,^»e tftne when the whole Pacific will be rtudded with stations and we shall be touch with, every contin;.«s. iaA\ island within ' the practical •Jjhere of operations of this modern iniraele.