Inter-Island

Wireless

Small, Portable Sets for Short Transmission

A Plan For Torres Straits

From Our Own Correspondent

Thursday Is., July 25.

AT the extreme north of Australia, between Thursday Island and New Guinea, lie the Torres Straits islands, inhabited by about 3,500 people of native and mixed blood.

These islands are under the adminis tration of the Queensland Government and come within the defined boun daries of that State, although some of them are within a couple of miles of New Guinea itself.

On the larger islands are white Gov ernment teachers, who in addition to the charge of the schools, also have various duties to perform in connec tion with the general work of the islands. The people are largely self supporting, and the Torres Straits is landers are regarded as a valuable asset to the Commonwealth, both from economic and other points of view.

Strategically (to mention one thing) they occupy an important position.

So far as the commercial aspect is concerned, most of the men are en gaged in marine industries; some of them own their own fishing vessels, there is a fleet of over thirty boats (cutters and luggers) bought by the people and controlled by the Protec tor of Aboriginals, and a number find ready employment on the fishing and pearling boats owned by Thursday Is land companies. Somewhere about £30,000 worth of marine produce is brought in annually from the island owned fleet alone; and, indirectly, as well as in direct local taxation, the islanders contribute a good deal to wards the revenue of the country.

When the Queensland Home Secre tary and other Government officials, visited the Islands in June, they had opportunity of seeing the great devel opment that has taken place during the past few years and, incidentally, also became aware of the effect that the impact of outer civilisation is hav ing upon those who were, not so very long ago, reckoned with the head hunters of New Guinea.

There are a number of problems arising in the Islands which will have to be dealt with wisely and understandingly and the fact that the men, by reason of their particular work which takes them into regular and close touch with European towns and their difficulties, are acquiring a know ledge of “white man ways" which is not always productive of good, will not make the position any easier. It is sometimes surprising to find news papers and magazines of the most un expected variety in native homes, brought back by boys who have been “working South”; and a Government official was taken aback the other day when a native asked him for the latest information concerning certain political happenings in another State.

One of the pressing problems just now in these Islands is lack of proper com munication. The Government ketch visits at intervals, but is frequently called off the regular itinerary to go elsewhere. Teachers and others depend upon the Government boat for their mails and supplies, and also look to the fishing, luggers and the Mission ketch to assist in establishing touch with Thursday Island, the headquar ters. But there is nothing whatever in the way of facilities for getting a mes sage through quickly—no wireless, not even a heliograph signalling outfit. Is lands cn which white officials reside are from 30 to 120 miles distant from Thursday Island, so that there should not be insuperable difficulties in ar ranging for some system of ready com munication.

Some time back, a local man pro posed to the authorities that the is lands be equipped with portable wire less outfits, similar to those used with so much success in outback Queensland and in North Australia. The machine is worked by treadle where no other power is available; it has a range of at least 400 miles, and requires only an operating skill of 12 words per minute.

One difficulty, however, is that at present (being a privately-run idea, worked by the Australian Inland Mis sion) there is only one “Mother Sta tion” available, at Cloncurry. which is too far away for the islands; but if arrangements could be made to link up with the Government stations, at such places as Thursday Island, there seems to be no reason why the idea should not be adopted for the Torres Straits islands, as well as for the isolated settlers, mission stations down the Gulf and along the East coast, and even on some of the luggers that travel long distances from home. The Home Sec retary has been approached on the matter to see if something can be done.

On more than one occasion European officials or their families have been seriously ill on an island and cut off absolutely from touch with the out side world; no boats were available, and there was no form of communica tion whatever. As some of these have

young children it is easily understood what a boon some such system of com munication as the above might prove.

It has been suggested that the Thursday Island station could be equip ped with the necessary instruments for wireless telephony, and the islands and other remote places linked up in that way; this might possibly be even better than the Morse sets. Perhaps the suggestion might commend itself to the wireless company, and a definite system inaugurated by them to help meet the need.