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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Paper
-SEGRETA DYL
and of H.E, the Officer Administering the Government, laid upon the table Be sional Paper No. 3-Extracts from Trea- sury Minute dated 30th September, 1918.
Commercial Wireless Station
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As a
Li
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HON. MR. HOLYOAK-I rise to speak to the resolution standing in my name:-
That arrangements be made at once for the installation of a powerful com- navy in Far Eastern waters to eat is put forward I would like to say," mercial wireless station, capable of from Tsingtau but also ber merca
fleet to escape to neatral ports. connecting direct with Colombo or some result of this, valuable prizes were other station in Ceylon."
to us. The reason why the matter being raised again now so emphatic is that the telegraphic system, as work panies, has so seriously broken de
I submit that in these days it ought to be unnecessary further to debate this subject, but apparently it is. It was as early as 1911 if not before-as far as I have been able to carry my researches it was in 1911 that the question of estab lishing a high power wireless commercial station in this Colony was first mooted and discussed. It led to a debate in this
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The subsequent correspondence betwe...
It has been suggested to me that, at represents the Chamber of Commerce. the Chamber of Commerce and the Go
any rate for the time being, the high. Mr. Pollock moved on that occasion that ernment will bear out my statement w!.
power naval station upon Stonecutters this Council had read with pleasure the I say that this essential need, what...
land could be used, with the consent statement of the Postmaster General, might be achieved as a stop-gap, gever lost sight of by the Chamber the Admiralty and the assistance of made in the House of Commons on the Government, during the temporary August 7th, 1912, to the effect that it Commerce. The need of it has b
Whether this could be arranged The outbreak
! stress.
was the intention of the British Govern- amply emphasised.
I do not know. with
to I am prepared to be menţ erect at its own cost for war found Germany
2 BUM of £60,000 a wireless tele- mercial wireless system established that possibly this could be used also
the permanent system for commercial graphic station in Hongkong and chain throughout the world by whi she was enabled to advise not only hnges to save installing what we ought that such station would be used for have another high-power station. If the transmission of commercial cables. In reporting to the Secretary of State advance that the commercial com the proceedings which took place on that mity feel very strongly that at the motion, Sir Henry May pointed out the immense value the station would be to when we might most need the wire-
a great emporium of trade like Hong- system for commercial telegrams as do to-day, in any stress of circum kong and said he felt sure that the tax
make sacrifices, if necessary, in order to moment the Admiralty would claim by break-downs or otherwise in the calir own system and the commercial have the Port included in the Imperial chain of wireless stations. The hon. mem- or through pressure of Government grains would be debarred.
ber representing the Chamber of Com- nese, that commercial telegrams have b
HON. MR. S. H. DODWELL --I rise to merce was not quite correct
in saying held up for no less a period than 1: ve
und the motion. I have some notes that in place of such a station as was 14 days. Well, sir, I have often won Council on the 3rd of October, 1912, when ed whether it is clearly realised at H the subject here but I and that the asked for the low power station at Cap the question of including Hongkong in how important a centre of tradents have been fully covered by the d'Aguilar was erected. That is not the Chon member representing the Chamber CRBC. That low power station was for the Imperial wireless chain system was though it may appear to be on the t
As Chairman of the what is known as ship to shore com- thoroughly discussed. The result was a this island of Hongkong is in the Commerce.
hamber of Commerce I would like to munication and it had to be provided in promise by the Governor to submit the perial chain. If its full importance -
dorse what he has said. The disloca- any case. It was after very careful con- debate to the Secretary of State for the realised, I cannot believe that many Colonies and he begged that the issue the urgent reforms which have been at of trade owing to the failure of the sideration with all those who could give the best advice that that low power should not be forced to a vote. In defered for from time to time would have bee le system is so serious that I think
For the immediate establishment of a chain station for "ship to shore" communica ence to His Excellency's wish this was denied as long as they have. not done. The result of that was that past, two or three months business wireless stations throughout the Emtion was erected at Cap d'Aguilar. The area there was not large enough for a in course of time a low-power station to a large extent been paralysed, is demanded and I think that we,
trade which certainly could have one of the foremost shipping ports more powerful station and it was suggested and finally installed. can only quote it as another instance of carried out to the benefit of the
the world, should take steps to place position that could not be defended. It Moreover, I was, however, very suitable for such a the short-sightedness of the administra has not been put through because no link in that chain.
and this tion of this Colony in taking the cheaper would dare operate in these days
we shall not experience the three station as has been ercoted course to effect a temporary settlement such serious delays before them. Tha half years' delay which attended station has proved its usefulness.
regards the larger station to which refer- of a public need. Personally, I regard fore, we feel most strongly that the time erection of the lower power station.
ence was made, there is no doubt in my it as false economy. In this connection has again come to urge the necessity
Hos. MR. LAT CHU PAK−) agree with mind, and I have seen nothing to alter I would beg leave to quote from a letter establishing at the earliest possible d from the Chairman of the Chamber of a high-power commercial wireless views just expressed by the hon. my view, that the station erected at Commerce at that time, the late Hon. capable of communicating direct as ibers and I have pleasure in support Stonecutters Island is the station which was referred to by the Postmaster-General. ernment as far back as April, 1911, deal. London. Manila is in constant dailyHE THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING circumstances I feel certain, would have Mr. E. A. Hewitt, addressed to this Gov. as Colombo or Calcutta and thence to the resolution.
It is the station which, in ordinary munication with New York, and, vice Er GOVERNMENT-In reply to the hon. ing with the proposed alternative of a
been in full use long ago in connection low power station. The following extracting the progress of the world and in ember who moved this resolution I wouki
with the Singapore station and other Ek to say that as far as the Govern stations for commercial messages had not from the letter deals with the case in sideration of the stress of comp
We understand that the Eastern which lies before us, which will be sent is concerned it entirely sympathises the war intervened. It was erected at point. Extension Telegraph Company now pro acute in the future than ever it has the desire expressed for a high pow
great speed some years ago but it has been station establishing Com- pose to erect a station, but that this will Hongkong cannot afford to be at the wireless
impossible hitherto to make use of it for coly have a radius of some 250 miles beck and call of a cable system sunication with all parts of the world commercial purposes. There is very little This our Committee considers altogether to such serious flaws as those evident in the interests of the commercial develop. doubt in my mind that before very long inadequate for our requirements. We are day. Moreover, with regard to the nt of Hongkong. Before I proceed to
we shall be in a position to use it for of the opinion that a station with an orbitant rates demanded, the est
statement on the subject, I would commercial cables. In considering whe ke to recall to hon. members who have ther assured radius of 1,500 miles is urgently ment of a competitive wireless
another station-an even more ken what took place in this Council powerful one as has been suggested by of the Colony and that nothing less should telegrame, and that would be good fo October 3rd, 1912, reference to which bor, members who have spoken on this needed in the interests of the whole trade: would tend to cheapen the cost of be accepted as meeting our present needs.” Imperial trache.
Bas been made by the hon. member who motion-should be erected in this Colony,
by the Eastern Extension Telegraph (ces which might arise, at that pre-payers of the Colony would willingly
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