311

A.—4,

15 June, 1911.] Development of Telegraphic Communication. [9th Day. Mr. FISHER : We are building one. Mr. PEARCE : We are establishing a wireless station at Fremantle. Mr. SAMUEL : Is it a high-power station ? Mr. PEARCE : No, I do not think it is. Mr. SAMUEL : It would not reach to Singapore ? Mr. PEARCE : No, it would not. Mr. FISHER : It would be well to keep in mind that Australia intends to go in for wireless on its own account. Mr. PEARCE : It is going in for it at the present time. Mr. FISHER : And intends to. Mr. PEARCE : If it is found that the station we are erecting at Fremantle is not of sufficient power, now is the time to make representations, before we are too far committed. Mr. SAMUEL : )I should like you to make them now. Mr. PEARCE : If you inform us what power is necessary, I could communicate with the Postmaster-General. Mr. FISHER : We have been in trouble for eighteen months, in consequence of wrong information. Mr. PEARCE : I should think the limit would be Fremantle, Cocas Island, and Singapore, and not Singapore to Fremantle direct. Mr. SAMUEL : That is a scheme which has been worked out by the Cable Landing Committee, which is a committee of the various Departments here. The more links there are the more expense it is, and the slower will be the communication. We are already transmitting five times after the original transmission, which will very much slacken the speed of telegraphing. Mr. PEARCE : I should be surprised to learn that by a high-power station we could link up with Singapore. CHAIRMAN: The Landing Committee certainly thought there would be no difficulty about that with an ordinary high-power station. Mr. PEARCE : The point we want to press is that the Pacific should certainly not be overlooked, and we are rather doubtful whether it should be held over pending the completion of the main line of communications. Mr. FISHER : We cannot commit ourselves to stopping our procedure. Mr. SAMUEL : No, but you would be very willing, I understand, to join in the scheme for a chain of wireless stations from the United Kingdom to Australia, and, if necessary, to adopt one of your stations to make the final link of that chain.

40—A. 4.