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3203
Marconi Company
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Lloyd George.] and, as he knows, I entirely accept his attitude. Whatever assistance the Trea- sury can afford for this purpose will be very gladly given.
Mr. DUKE: May I draw attention to the fact that some of the county councils are put in a position of much disadvan¬ tage with regard to local licences by reason of the appointment, under the Finance Act of 1910, of the year 1908-9 as the governing year which decides the apportionment of the Licence Duties be- tween the funds under the control of the county councils and the funds which go The to the Road Improvement Board.
Devon, for instance, county council in finds itself deprived of several thousand pounds which in ordinary circumstances would have come to it, not arising from the increase of Motor Duties, but from duties on traps and to some extent from the greater vigilance of the county coun- cils and the local authorities. I think that the matter has been mentioned to the Treasury on one or two occasions, and 1 should be glad if the right hon. Gentle- man would look into it and see whether there has not been a substantal breach of the pledge given that the county coun- cils should not suffer by the method of distribution. I am sure that his matter will be regarded as non-contentious and that the right hon. Gentlema will pro- bably see his way to do what is desired.
Mr. LLOYD GEORGE: I shall certainly look into the matter. I know the point to which the hon. Gentlemar refers.
Question' put, and agrees to.
Bill read the third time and passed.
LONDON INSTITUTION (TRANSFER) ----(RECOMMITTED)—–BILL.
Considered in Jommittee; reported without Amendments; read the third time. and passed.
MARCONT'S WIRELESS TELEGRAPH COMPANY, LIMITED.
Motion ade, and Question proposed, That the Agreement between Marcoui's Wireless Telegraph Company, Limited, Commedatore Guglielmo Marconi, and the Batmaster-General, with regard to the stablishment of a chain of Imperial Wieless Stations, be approved."
natge.
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3206
Agreement. Office, of the Colonial Office, and of the Post Office. The High Commissioners of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa were good enough to accept seats on the Committee and attend its meetings. All the Government experts in wireless tele- graphy were also members of that Com- mittee, which was a large Committee, con- sisting altogether of about twenty mem- bers. I acted as Chairman. The Com- mittee first met on 9th August, 1911, and, after considering the question where the stations should be placed and in what way the Governments concerned could best co- operate, it proceeded to consider what steps could properly be taken in order to the erection of these stations. Three courses were open to the Govern- It might have taken upon itself to erect the stations through its own engineers and officers; it might have invited tenders from any contractors who considered they were in a position to erect them; or it might have negotiated with the Marconi Company. which had previously made a further offer of a different kind, to which I will refer later.
secure
ment.
Marconi Company
7 AUGUST 912 Agreement.
tractive offer. It involved no expendi- The POSTMASTER - GENERAL (Mre on our part; it would have enabled Herbert Samuel); On behalf of my righe rates for communication to have been hon. Friend (Mr. Masterman) I beg leave duced, but, on the other hand, it would to move the Motion which stands in his re given the Marconi Company a mono- I do not anticipate that the Hously of this form of communication will be ready to arrive at a decision onroughout those parts of the Empire, for this matter to-day, but it is for many reless telegraphy is in itself to a great reasons desirable that without further ent a natural monopoly. It is impos- posponement a statement should be made ale to erect a number of stations side of the course of the negotiations that led side with one another in a compara- to the conclusion of the contract with the ely small area on account of the risk Marconi Company for the erection of mutual interference.
lf this request chain of Imperial wireless stations, and the Marconi Company had been that a fuller explanation of the terms ofted they would have had in their own the contract should be given to the Houseds during a period of twenty years than has yet been possible. On two points entire control of wireless telegraphy I think there will be no disagreement ugh large areas of our Dominions. The first is that the erection of long rangether, the Government would not have wireless telegraphy stations at suitable able to have ensured that the most points throughout the Empire is in itselfient system at any time could be desirable; indeed, they will be useful for pted. They would not have had power commercial purposes, and are likely that into the stations newer inventions contribute to the cheapening of telegraphich might have been made available, and communications between various portionsequently they could never have been of the Empire. In time of war, however in that the system would have been little we may anticipate war, it is of course most efficient possible at the time. the primary duty of the Government her, at the end of the period of make provision for Imperial defence enty years. if the Government wished Should war unhappily occur, cables a purchase, this involved that they always liable to be cut, and of course it got then have to purchase at a very for strategic reasons exceedingly desirab
shprice. For these that some alternative means of communernment came to the conclusion that cation should be provided, and, further
stations must be State-owned and that it should be a means like this, whit not be in the hands of a private enables communication to be kept up wit the Fleet and with merchant ships. The problem of our Empire is largely a pr the end of June there were three blem of communications, and the mommittees which considered the matter the Government is able to improve In Cable Landing Rights Committee; Departmental Committee representing perial communications the better it is.
the various Departments interested in The second point with respect to whites, with as Chairman the Parliamen I think there will be no controversy is the Secretary to the Board of Trade; & these stations, when they are
Committee of the Imperial Defence ought properly to be in the hands ofmittee and the Imperial Conference Government or of the Governments different parts of the Empire, and shotter before it; and all those three lt, in June of last year, also bad the
erected
mpany.
reasons the
dies, in the summer of last year, were
to be erected at suitable points in Empire, and ought to be State-owned not in the hands of a private com-
not be in the hands of a private con i pany. In March, 1910, the Marconi Con | pany requested the grant of a licence feedly of opinion that wireless stations the erection of long range wireless station at eighteen points throughout the Emp They promised that they would charge l rates for telegraphic communications tween those stations. They asked for subsidy and for no payment of any kin but that their licence should be for period of twenty years, with the right purchase to be in the bands of the Ge ernment at the end of that time. Thal Committee was formed in that
amer of last year.
It consisted of offer naturally received the very
esentatives of the Treasury, of the attention of the Government, and
airalty, of the War Office, of the India considered for some time. It was
So far the House will be agreed if stations are desirable they should State-owned. When the Imperial ference came to that conclusion, I steps to form a Special Committee in to work out a scheme, and that
SO
vast an
On the question whether or not the Government should itself erect the stations it was at once clear that the Post Office was not in a position to do so. Although we have a number of compara- tively small wireless stations around our own coasts, the Post Office has no direct experience of the working of long range telegraphy, and although it is carefully watching its developments throughout the world. its engineers and officers them- selves have not had direct experience of the actual direction and management of Jong range stations. Further, we have not the staff which could possibly undertake enterprise as this. The Admiralty might have been in a position to erect the stations, and were prepared to do so if it was necessary, but they were very reluctant to undertake the work for the reason that it would have meant de- voting the whole of their expert staff to this enterprise during a period probably of some years, and diverting them from their proper and normal duties of looking after the wireless telegraph system of the Navy on board ship and on land. It was therefore decided that, if neces- sary, the point should be further con- sidered. The natural course, no doubt, when any Government Department or Departments was undertaking any enter prise of this character, which is to be car- ried out by outside contractors, would be to throw the matter open to public tender,
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