WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. (Hansard, 3 March 1902)

§ LORD LAMINGTON
My Lords, I beg to ask the Postmaster General what is the attitude of the Government towards the development of wireless telegraphy. I base my Question solely on the report of a speech recently delivered by Mr. Marconi, in which he said that when asked why, when he had been able to send messages 1500 miles by wireless telegraphy, they had not established a working communication between England and Ireland, his reply was that his system was available for such a distance, and that the simple reason why it was not in commercial use between England and Ireland was to be found in the monopoly of telegraphic communication that was claimed 155 in the United Kingdom by the British Post Office. I think the public would be glad to know that the monopolist power of the Post Office has not been used to the detriment of this invention, which promises to be of such great public advantage.

§ * THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY
I am not at all sorry that my noble friend has asked this Question, because at the present moment the Marconi wireless telegraphy is exciting great interest, not only in this country, but all over the world. It is impossible for me on this occasion to respond for the Government, inasmuch as there are two other very important Departments, the Admiralty and the Board of Trade, who are equally interested—with regard to the Admiralty I may say more interested—in this matter. Perhaps my noble friend will forgive me, therefore, if I reply merely as the head of my own Department, and not on behalf of the Government as a whole. At the Post Office we regard the question of wireless telegraphy as one of enormous importance, and we believe it will be of enormous advantage in the future with regard to the promotion of commerce of all sorts and kinds. We consider that it is an extraordinary discovery. Personally, I think it is the greatest discovery of the age; and we shall be only too glad, whenever the opportunity occurs to give it every facility, and utilise it as much as possible for the benefit of the British public. To my mind, the benefit of wireless telegraphy will arise in two ways. First, the transmission of messages between ship and ship on the high seas; and, secondly, communication between ships at sea and signalling stations. With regard to the former, the owners of the patents can do whatever they like, and they require no authorisation whatever from the Government or from my Department. But with regard to the communication between ships at sea and signalling stations on shore, anything of that kind would be an infringement of the rights of the Postmaster General, granted to him by Parliament, and which it is his duty to maintain. I received last year a deputation of a very important character, 156 bringing before me the great advantages which would accrue to this country were I to give a licence for communicating within the area over which the Postmaster General has jurisdiction. I told them that I sympathised with them, and, as far as my own Department was concerned, that I should be only too glad to give such a licence. But I had to consider the interests and the views of the other Departments to which I have alluded; and there is no doubt that at the present moment wireless telegraphy at the command of private companies might interfere very seriously with the experiments of the Admiralty; and until the doubts which the Admiralty at present entertain are removed I shall not consider myself at liberty to give that licence, which under other circumstances I should be glad to do. The First Lord of the Admiralty is fully cognisant of this matter, has discussed it, and, at the present moment, it is under his consideration. While on the subject, I would say one word with regard to the ordinary telegraph. With regard to the working of the Marconi system in the United Kingdom, I should not at the present moment be inclined to grant a licence for it. It has yet to be proved that the system can be worked more efficiently and more economically than our old system. I do not say what will be the case in the future, but I am convinced that at present it cannot be so worked, and I am not prepared to take any steps at the present time. I do not wish my noble friend to take it that I am adopting a non possumus line, and saying that it shall never be. In the course of time wireless telegraphy may be found to work effectively and profitably in this country; and, if that were the case, I need not say that I should unhesitatingly endeavour to utilise it on behalf of the Post Office. At present my advisers at the Post Office are watching most keenly its development, our engineering officers are watching all its resources and every improvement, and are reporting to me what is taking place; and, if I am convinced that it will be for the benefit of the country, I shall do my best to avail myself of it.

§ LORD LAMINGTON
The noble Marques assures us he will be very sympathetic to the system when it is perfected. Would it not be as well, however, to assist now in perfecting it by giving some encouragement?

§ * THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY:
I do not like a leap in the dark. I think our old system is working well, and I am waiting until I see that the new invention is reliable. I should not like to involve a public Department in anything that was risky. At present the Admiralty are making extensive experiments on the south coast, and the Admiralty desire that we should not give facilities for use within territorial waters until they are assured that these experiments can be carried on without any danger.