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5. W/T Communication.
The Chairman summarised the present position
and pointed out that the Commander-in-Chief's report showed that it was clearly necessary to improve the standard of wireless apparatus, especially on the northern run where the distances were greater. Mr. Graham stated that the desired standard would be attained in the near future by all ocean going ships registered at, or carrying passengers from, Hong Kong, since the Safety Convention was being applied in the Colony from the 1st July onwards. This would ensure also an adequate standard of efficiency of the W/T operators in these vessels.
Unfortunately however, the same measures could not be
adopted in respect of ships registered at Shanghai owing to the lack of trained surveying staff there. It was
finally decided that, for ships not covered by the measures taken at Hong Kong, all that could be done would
be to urge the Companies to provide sets and operators up to the standard required by the Hong Kong Regulations for long international voyages, which adequately met the needs of the anti-piracy routines.
The Conference agreed that it was undesirable.
that wireless operators should have authority to send
out a distress message without orders from the bridge.
Mr. Graham pointed out that the Post Office would strongly object to any such arrangement. It was also agreed that the small advantage to be gained from the fitting of automatic alarm transmission apparatus would not justify representations to the Companies with a view to persuading them to instal such alarms, or to the Chinese Government,
with a view to inducing them to fit the corresponding receiving sets in their Customs vessels.
/6.
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