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II-GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG to COLONIAL OFFICE.
Government House, Hong Kong,
10th September 1912. SIR,
WITH reference to my telegram of the 28th ultimo, I have the honour to transmit copy of notes of a conversation which I had with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company on the subject of the proposed Commercial Radiotelegraphic Station at Hong Kong.
2. It appears that the reasons for the desire for a medium-power installation with a range of 850 miles by day are-(a) that vessels may be in communication with Hong Kong or Singapore throughout the whole voyage between those ports, and (b) that revenue may be made by exchange of messages with other Radiotelegraphic stations on land. I am given to understand that this latter consideration was encouraged by Messrs. Marconi's representative, who said that if a medium-power station were erected in Hong Kong his Company would endeavour to have a station of corresponding range installed at Shanghai.
3. The Postmaster-General, who was a member of the Committee whose report formed enclosure 1 in Mr. Severn's confidential despatch of the 15th April, informs me the Committee were influenced in recommending a medium-power station by the fact that at that time the privilege of installing a low-power station had been promised to the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company.
4. In my opinion an installation giving a range by day of 300 miles is sufficient for present requirements, since vessels which frequent this part are not equipped with installations giving a wider range, with the possible exception of the vessels helonging to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, which, according to my information, are using an unauthorised wave length.
5. If, however, there is any prospect in the near future of compulsion by the Board of Trade on British ships to carry installations with a wider range by day; or if there is prospect in the near future of considerable development in the power of installations carried by mercbant vessels, then it may be desirable that a medium- power station should be installed at once in Kong Kong.
6. These are matters beyond my knowledge. I have provided tentatively a round sum of $100,000 in the estimates for next year for a wireless installation, and I am content to leave in your hands the decision of what the power of the installation should be,
I have, &c., (Signed) F. H. MAY,
&c.
The Right Honourable Lewis Harcourt, M,P.,
&c,
&c.
Enclosure.
Governor, &c.
MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW BETWEEN GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG AND
REPRESENTATIVES OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
His Excellency the Governor, with whom was the Colonial Secretary, met representatives of the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, 27th August 1912, at the Council Chamber at 5 p.m.
The following were present:
The Honourable Mr. C, H. Ross, Manager, Jardine, Matheson & Co., Ltd. The Honourable Mr. Murray Stewart, Representative of Chamber of
Commerce in Legislative Council.
Mr. N. J. Stabb, Chief Manager, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation.
Mr. G. T. Edkins, Manager, Butterfield and Swire.
Mr. H. W. D, Shallard, Acting Superintendent, P. and O. S. N. Company. His Excellency--I have asked you to come here, gentlemen, to discuss the question of establishing a wireless telegraphic station for commercial purposes at Hong Kong. I have read the correspondence which has taken place between the Government and the Chamber of Commerce, and I confess that I am somewhat baffled by it. It is not clear to me what the Chamber wants exactly. The idea
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originally was to have only one station for Imperial and commercial purposes. That plan was, however, abandoned, as the Admiralty wished to have their own high- power station with a range of about 1,600 miles. strategical considerations into the discussion confused matters. Strategy is not our I think the introduction of affair. That is for those responsible for the Imperial system. What we have now to consider is a purely commercial proposition. I find that on the 29th November last the Chamber wrote that they wanted a wireless station with a range of 1,500 miles to enable vessels to communicate with their agents in Hong Kong. Apart, however, from some vessels crossing the Atlantic to New York possibly, there are no vessels, as far as I am aware, with appliances sufficiently powerful to communicate over anything like such a distance. I cannot imagine what they could want to communicate with their agents about from a distance of 1,500 miles. It would mean as far as Yokohama from Hong Kong, and there is a cable already. Those are the two points: (a) there are no steamers in these waters fitted with such powerful installations, and (6) why communicate such a long distance.
I have had experience of installing wireless stations in the Western Pacific. I am certain that neither a high power nor a medium power station could be erected for 6,0001. or anything like it. That is the figure given by the Chamber in their letter of the 17th October 1911. Also $484 per mensem for the staff, which is ridiculous. One operator could not be got for less than 2507, to 3001, a year, and for @ station of the size suggested probably 4007. a year would be required by the officer in charge. There are not a great number of operators available. It is a new profession. Then the earnings are put at 2,6007, a year, but no details are given, The Chamber were asked what places they wished to communicate with. Their answer was the Philippines, Formosa, Japan, Manchuria, Corea, Burmah, Straits Settlements, China, Borneo, Sumatra, and with vessels all over the Eastern seas. Did the Chamber really think it necessary to have a wireless station communicating with all these land stations ? For example, Shanghai is 650 nautical miles from Hong Kong, over land with intervening hills. A very powerful station would be necessary to communicate at all times and under all conditions with Shanghai. laid before the Secretary of State, who inquired why such a powerful station was All this has been required; why not one which would be effective up to, say, 300 miles? The answer of this Government was that the shipping people here wanted a medium-power station to communicate with vessels at 850 miles at all times and under all conditions. I want to ask you, gentlemen, who represent shipping interests and the Chamber of Commerce, what the Chamber does want? I want to find out why you want more than a low-power station for ship-to-shore communication only. that a station with a range of 850 miles as above would cost 15,000l. or 16,000l. to It is estimated erect, and there would be heavy upkeep charges. The staff would also be costly. It might be easy to get operators, but not so easy to get a man who thoroughly understood the engines, &c. A mechanical engineer would be necessary, with a salary of at least 400%. a year. Then for a continual service at least two operators would be required, so that salaries alone would amount to over 1,0007, a year, and the whole cost of running the station, including the annual repairs, would be not much under 2,5007, a year.
Mr. Ross.--What is the cost of upkeep of a 3-kilowatt station?
His Excellency. It depends on whether there is a continual service. In Fiji there was a 5-kilowatt station, as communication had to be maintained with outlying islands over intervening high land. The Secretary of State suggests a 14-kilowatt station with range of 300 miles, costing 2,0007., to install with annual upkeep of about 7007. In Fiji we had one engineer and two operators for the 5-kilowatt. station. If the Chamber merely want to communicate with incoming ships and ascertain time of arrival and so forth, such a station would be sufficient.
Mr. Shallard.-A low-power station with 300 mile range would be sufficient for one day's run of a ship, but frequently we should miss her altogether. The installa- tion on an ordinary ship is effective up to 450 miles by night, but a ship often finds it difficult to pick up messages during the day. We can always pick up a signal at night. With a 300 mile range, therefore, the result would be that if a ship came within the range at daylight it could not often get a signal through until night, when the office at Hong Kong had shut, whereas with the longer range the message could have been sent during the previous night,
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