47. Captain FABERasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the need of a prompt settlement one way or the other in regard to the Marconi contract, and the importance to the nation of a proper examination and test of rival systems, he will authorise exprimental tests of the Goldschmidt, Telefunken, and other systems during the summer months, submitting the contract at the same time to open tender, and consider the advisability of summoning the House for a short Autumn Session afterwards to pass such Contract as may be accepted?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to what my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General said last night. I am not prepared to propose an Autumn Session for the purpose suggested.
§ 58. Mr. JOWETTasked the Postmaster-General whether the Report of Dr. Austin, the head scientific adviser to the United States naval wireless service, on the results of experiments with arc and spark sending apparatus for radio-telegraphy has been communicated to him by the Advisory Committee; and whether he pro- 1422 poses to modify his proposals as regards the Marconi Contract, in view of the results of Dr. Austin's experiments?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Herbert Samuel)The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative. The general result of the experiments to which I understand the hon. Member to refer was known to the Advisory Committee before they reported in favour of the Marconi system.
§ 59 60. Mr. JOWETTasked the Postmaster-General (1) whether his attention has been drawn to Clause 12 of the Report of the Advisory Committee to the effect that they had been unable to get a demonstration for a distance of 2,000, or even 1,000, miles from any company other than the Marconi Company; whether he is aware that an offer to give such a demonstration was made by the Poulsen Company; whether he can state why this offer was not availed of; and (2) whether he will defer the completion of the contract with the Marconi Company until the Poulsen system, adopted by the Canadian and American Governments, has had an opportunity of giving a demonstration to his advisers?
62. Mr. F. HALLasked the Postmaster-General what opinion, if any, has been expressed by members of the Expert Advisory Committee relative to the announcement made that the Goldschmidt system of wireless telegraphy has succeeded in establishing communication across the Atlantic over a distance nearly double that required by the terms of the contract for the Imperial wireless service; and whether, if he has not yet consulted with the members of this Committee, he will immediately do so, and lay upon the Table of the House any information which they may give him?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI would refer the hon. Members to my statement in the House last night.
63. Mr. F. HALLasked the Postmaster-General if it would be practicable, in connection with the establishment of the chain of Imperial wireless stations, to adopt the best features of those systems which have been examined into so as to ensure a maximum of efficiency; and, if so, whether any consideration will be given to the suggestion in the Report of Lord Parker's Committee as to the possibility of the Government carrying out some of the work itself?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELMany considerations have to be taken into account in determining the point raised by the hon. Member's question, and they cannot be adequately dealt with within the limits of a Parliamentary reply. I hope to make a statement on the subject shortly.
Mr. F. HALLWill the right hon. Gentleman, when he is making that statement, refer to the last part of my question with regard to the Advisory Committee?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELYes, Sir, certainly.
64. Captain FABERasked the Postmaster-General whether he has any information as to why the Canadian Government, which is neither so wealthy nor possessed of such potential resources as our own, is able and prefers to construct its own stations for its wireless system of working?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe hon. Member appears to be misinformed. So far as long-distance stations are concerned I am not aware that the Canadian Government either has itself constructed or is proposing to construct any stations. Nor are any stations being constructed on behalf of the Canadian Government to be owned and worked by them. The Canadian Government owns a large number of short-distance coast stations. The great majority of these are Marconi stations, erected by the Canadian Marconi Company. There are three short-distance stations owned by the Government on the West Coast which are on the "Shoemaker" system. It is possible that these may have been erected by the Government itself, but I have no definite information as to this.
§ Mr. JOHN WARDDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think it would be a good way of getting rid of the whole contention if the Government did the work themselves?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELOf course it would be, if the Government were in a position to do so. But I indicated to the House on a previous occasion objections to that course which render it, not impossible, but undesirable if other courses are open.
65. Captain FABERasked the Postmaster-General whether he will give the exact statement put forward in the letter of the Goldschmidt Company as to why they suggested the first week in August for the demonstration of their system?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe whole of the correspondence will be laid upon the Table of the House, with other Papers, in a few days.
66. Captain FABERasked the Postmaster-General whether, in the event of the Imperial wireless service stations being completed, the owners of other wireless systems will be allowed to erect stations serving the same countries, the necessary safeguards as to distance between stations being observed, for the purpose of sending commercial messages, or whether it is the intention of the Government to create a monopoly in respect of wireless telegraphy within the Empire?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe stations of the Imperial chain being State-owned, it is, I think, very improbable that licences would be given to private companies to erect stations in competition with them. Where there is no immediate question of the establishment of a Government service —as, for example, in the case of communication between this country and Canada— it would be the policy of the Post Office to grant a licence subject to reasonable conditions to any British Wireless Telegraph Company giving adequate proof of financial standing and technical competence.