CO129-539-13 Proposed transfer of Government Wireless Service to Imperial and International Communications Ltd. 11-4-1932 - 17-6-1933 — Page 69

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COLONEL WILLAN pointed out that the erection of such

a station would affect the Company's cable revenue,

and further difficulties as regards strategic cables would undoubtedly arise.

MR. VERNON said that the Colony undoubtedly felt that if the Company took over the communications there would be no inducement for them to improve their wireless communications, as such improvements would merely cut in to their cable receipts.

In reply to

a question by Colonel Willan ac to whether, if a subsidy for cables had to be paid, the Colony could be asked to contribute, he replied that he did not think this would be possible.

MR. ROBINSON observed that there appeared to be no particular point of time when the Company was to take over the communications if the Colony were allowed to continue their extensions and developments.

It was,

he suggested, no good the Colony thinking they could force the Company to erect a high power station which involved communication with Singapore when there was no proposal at present to erect the Singapore station, It might

be possible to ask the Company whether they were prepared to provide more than the minimum requirements asked for by the Hong Kong Government, and invite the Hong Kong Government to amend the agreement.

CAPTAIN MURRAY suggested that there was a danger in telling the Colony they could proceed with their own developments and inform the Company that their proposals were not acceptable, as only a few months ago the Company had been informed that their proposals to provide the minimum requirements had met with agreement.

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