Use of Morse and Telephone

Radio Sets in N.G.

THERE have been very interesting de velopments in New Guinea in the use of wireless telegraphy as a means of com munication between isolated centres; and remarkable success has been achieved in this direction by Amalgamated Wireless Ltd.

The apparatus used is simple, but ap parently very efficient —it consists simply of Morse transmitting and receiving sets, operated on power supplied by a native, who sits on a thing like a bicycle frame, and pedals lustily.

Such a set had been in operation be tween Buka Passage and Kieta wireless station for seven months, and it is giving satisfactory results.

The manager of A.W.A. in Rabaul is now putting similar units into operation at Namatanai, Talasea, Gasmata, Weewak, and other administrative sub-stations throughout the Territory. The apparatus for these stations is being supplied by Amalgamated Wireless Ltd., the district officials are teaching themselves to use the Morse system; and they are having satis factory success in communicating between themselves. The new system of com munication is not yet officially in ope ration among these stations —the officials are practising with each other.

The Buka Passage—Kieta circuit, having been proved practicable, is now open for public traffic.

Amalgamated Wireless Ltd. has also been experimenting with radio-telephone sets in the Territory. These also operate on power supplied by a pedalling native.

Using one of these sets, Mr. Twycross, at Rabaul, carried on a two-ways conversa tion, quite clearly, over a period of two hours with Bulolo, 450 miles away. This radio-telephone set has now gone to Papua, where experiments also will be made.

It is evident already that the use of these radio-telegraph and radio-telephone sets will solve one of the greatest prob lems of life in the Pacific Islands —namely, communication—and the further results.of operations in the two Territories will be watched with interest by every Admini stration in the Pacific.