CO129-402 - Governor Sir May - 1913 [7-8] — Page 351

343

1/-

REPORT

on an Ordinance entitled An Ordinance

to provide for the regulation of

Wireless Telegraphy.

E.

13474

This Ordinance was introduced into the Legislative Council in accordance with the instructions received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies. under Confidential Des-

patch No.3030 dated 16th May 1913. The form of the Ordinance

is almost identical with that of the Ordinance No. 15 of 1912 of the Straits Settlements (The Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance

1912) a copy of which formed an enclosure with the Despatch

mentioned above in which instructions were given that the Straits

Settlements Ordinance should be taken as a model.

3/-

4/-

Section 1 of the Ordinance is formal.

Section 2 defines "Telegraph" and "Wireless Telegraphy".

Section 3 gives power to the Governor to license the

establishment of Wireless Telegraph Installations in any place in the Colony or on any British slip registered in the Colony

and Section 4 prohibits any such Installation without such li-

cence which shall be in the form and for such period as the Gov-

ernor-in-Council may determine.

5/-

Section 5, Sub-section (1) imposes the penalty for establishing an Installation without a licence and gives power to the Magistracy to grant a Search warrant to the Police for inspection of any station, place or ship where it is believed that unlicensed wireless telegraphic work or apparatus exist and for seisure of any such apparatus if there found. 6/-

Section 6 gives power to the Governor-In-Council to make Regulations for prescribing the form and manner in which application for licences are to be made, and the fees payable on grant of Ifcence; for regulating the work of Wireless Telegraphy on board Merchant ships whether British or Foreign

in the waters of the Colony so as to prevent interference with

Naval signals or local lawful installations and their messages

to and from other stations on land and on ships at sea; the

prohibiting except under special permission of the Colonial

Secretary the use of Wireless Telegraphy on board Herchant ships

whilst in the harbout of the Colony; and for prohibiting or

regulating in cases of grave emergency the use of Wireless Tele-

graphy on board Merchant ships whether British or Foreign whilst

in the waters of the Colony.. The Section also provides that

signals of distress may under any circumstances be made and

answered.

7/-

3/-

Section 7 gives power to the Governor to grant free

licenses for experimental research work in Wireless Telegraphy.

Section 8 prescribes what is to be regarded as an

offence against the provisions of the Ordinance and lays down

penalties for its contravention where no special penalty is ex-

pressly prescribed; it also gives power to the Magistracy to

hear and determine prosecutions under the Ordinance.

9/-

Section 9 repeals the three existing Local Ordinances.

10/- In my opinion this is an Ordinance to which His Ex-

cellency the Governor may properly assent in the name of His

lajesty and on His behalf.

John a Buckwill

Attorney General.

26. 4. 13

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