CO129-386 - Public Offices & Others - 1911 — Page 296

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the distance between it and Aden was so much less than the distance between Aden and Colombo which was a natural alternative that that site was preferable, despite the possible difficulties of communication with Singapore over-land to a site at Colombo. The next stage would be Singapore which was preferable on ground of distance to Penang. The next stage would be one in Australia and the question was discussed whether it should be situated at Fremantle, where a station is already contracted for to be erected by the Telefunken Company, or whether it should be placed at Port Darwin. It appeared that it would not be possible to have the long distance station which is required as part of the chain of wireless telegraph stations in the same building as the proposed installation by the Telefunken Company, and it was, therefore, thought that it would probably be more simple for the Commonwealth Government to erect a long distance station at Port Darwin, on the assumption that that station would be erected without conflict with any rights given to the Telefunken Comp- any under the agreement between them and the Common- wealth.

Captain Collins stated that he was not aware

of the exact position of matters between the Company

and the Government; it was doubtful to what extent the

agreement bound the Government especially as it was not certain whether the Company had carried out its obligations to the Government.

In the case of New Zealand, Sir William Hall Jones explained that a final contract had been entered

into