EMERGENCY PLANT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20311, 22 May 1934, Page 7

EMERGENCY PLANT.

Wireless Eauioment Would Assist. If, through a storm, Christchurch was cut off from telegraph communication with the rest of the Dominion, the emergency wireless transmitter which is maintained by the Telegraph Engineer’s Department would be brought into use to call up other centres and arrange for repairs to be carried out. In 1923, when a storm of unusual severity prevented telegrams being sent north, no emergency apparatus was available, but in the last two or three years, all the main post offices of the Dominion have been equipped with small radio plants which would enable communication to be established with other centres. It is doubtful, though, with the limited capacity of these plants, if anything beyond official messages would be transmitted. At the present time, keen interest is being shown in shipping circles in the subject of the installation of a modern radio telephone station at Lyttelton and it was pointed out this morning that, if such a plant were erected, it would be possible, in the event of emergency of any kind, to use this equipment for maintaining ordinary commercial communication with other centres. The toll telephone system could be connected to it and business firms would be able to transact their ordinary affairs without delay. (Mr E. J. Howard’s remarks appear on Page 5.)