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Among other changes introduced were the functioning of the three International Consultative Committees on a continuous basis ; the publishing of final acts, regulations, and official publications of the Union in the official languages of the United Nations (viz., English, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish); the location of all permanent organs of the Union at Geneva, Switzerland; the requirement that the administrative regulations (radio, telegraph, and telephone) are automatically binding on countries signing the Convention, unless by a protocol to the Convention a country specifically stipulates that a particular set of regulations will not apply to its territory ; and the provision that in future plenipotentiary and administrative conferences of the Union will be held regularly at five-yearly intervals at the same place and, as far as possible, at the same time, instead of at irregular periods as in the past. The new Convention will come into effect on the Ist January, 1949. Conference on International Radio-communication Regulations The conference dealing with radio matters revised the International Radiocommunication Regulations of Cairo, 1938. A major task performed was the drawingup of a new world radio-frequency allocation table, apportioning the radio-frequency spectrum between all types of radio services on a rationalized basis. In the revision of the regulations a large number of changes involving technical considerations were made. In general, these changes were made with the object of improving world radio communications by the elimination of interference. In the operational section of the Radio Regulations some changes have been made which will require a modification of the radio equipment installed on ships registered in New Zealand. The more important of these, apart from certain necessary changes in operating frequencies, are that the use of type B (spark) emissions is prohibited except for distress or safety purposes ; and that the provision of crystal control of high-frequency transmitters is essential. The regulations made at the Atlantic City Radio Conference come into effect on the Ist January, 1949, except for the table of frequencies and certain other regulations relating to frequency assignments, which will not become operative until a later date yet to be fixed by a further special administrative conference of the Union. Conference on High-frequency Broadcasting The conference on high-frequency broadcasting devoted itself primarily to the formulation of engineering principles which would underlie a frequency plan for highfrequency broadcasting and to the preparation of an agenda for a further conference to be held in Mexico City towards the end of 1948. New Zealand was represented at the foregoing conferences by Mr. H. W. Curtis, Divisional Director (Telecommunications), and Mr. T. R. Clarkson, Divisional Radio Engineer, General Post Office, who attended also an international meeting on marine radio aids. In the conference concerned with the revision of the Radio Regulations the delegation included also Messrs. L. J. Elliston, Senior Supervisor, Radio Division, and S. T. A. Emmett, Radio Engineer, General Post Office.

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