The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-03
GRANGE FOR
MARCON'S MEN
CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER OF THE
ARMY CALLS FOR BIDS ON
A SYSTEM.
TESTS ARE RE-
CURED FROM BIDDERS.
Wireless Telegraphy in An Experiment
tai Stage and Proofs of Efficient Work
Are Demanded.

WASHINGTON, April 1S.-The chief
signal officer of the army has received
| informal assurances from two wireless
telegraph companies that they intend
to submit proposals in response to his
| advertisement, for installing a complete
system of wireless telegraphy in Alaska.
The war department has become salts
fed, on the other hand, that more than
one of the so-called wireless telegraph
/ companies that are being exploited are
really nothing more than stock jobbing
concerns, and that, therefore, they will
not respond to the departments invita-
ton for proposals.
Interesting communications Of many
kinds have been received by Gen. Gree
ly, the chief signal officer, since he pro-
posed to call upon the wireless" COM
panies to submit bids for a telegraph
| system without wires in Alaska 1t is
| agreed by a large number of MS COrre-
spondents that his offer will have one
good effect, even if it does not bring
| about the principal result. The official
advertisement will cause a show
down" by the various companies en-
gagged in promoting wireless telegraph
schemes and it will have a tendency to
expose fraudulent concerns, while en-
couraging the legitimate companies.
Some persons have found fault with
Gen. Greedy because he requires a pre-
liminary test from bidders. He says,
however, that this is only fair to the
government, in view Of the fact that
wireless telegraphy is still in the ex-
perimental stage and the government is
not justified in eXpending money to con-
/ duct experiments for private corpora
lions. In other words Gen. Greedy will
insist that the matter he has in charge
be conducted in a businesslike manner.
He is willing, in his official capacity,
to do all in his power to encourage IN
ventors, but he cannot pay for their
. experiments.
The war department. in the advertise
ment recently issued, does not require
telegraph companies to operate in Alas
ka over nearly as long a distance as
these companies claim they have been
able to operate The terms of the adj
vertisement to bidders are easy. In the
case of the proposed connection of st.
Michael with Nome, for instance, al
though the distance is only los miles,
the department offers to allow the con-
tractor to establish his southern sta
ton on Stewart island, instead of at st.
Michael, thus reducing the distance to
Nome to ninety miles.
In rendering their proposal bidders
must specify the speed of transmission
to be accomplished and the character
of record to be employed upon the sys-
. IelIlS lutN propose 10 install between
gwen points.
4 Before the contract is awarded bidders
must be prepared to demonstrate their
ability to transmit legible records for
two consecutive days at a distance of
60 miles between any points on the At
lantic sea coast which they may select
/ and such demonstration shall be made
at their expense and to the satisfaction
| of a board of officers of the signal corps
/ L. S. army
/ Each separate system must work
| satisfactorily for not less than ten con-
! secutive days nor more than twenty
| consecutive days, at the option of the
! United States and must be thoroughly
! equipped before acceptance by the
| signal corps.
The successful bidder will be re-
| quired to give bond in the sum of 81
/ per cent of the total amount of contract
! for the faithful performance of the sti-
! pulations of the contract, such bond Ic
| be approved by the chief signal officer
! L. S. A, before acceptance.
| General Greedy is interested in the
| suggestion that wireless telegraphy
may be established between the United
States and the Philippines by way of
| Dutch harbor, Attu Formosa and other
points, He says, however that that is
/ too great a problem to consider a pre-
sent. The first thing is to try the sys-
TENS recommended by the several COM
panies over short distances with a view
to proving their wOrth-Seattle Post
/ Intelligencer.