Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-11-26
MARCONI
WIRELESS Chain
PouIsen Claim of HONOLULU San
Francisco Day Comn1unica-
ton investigated

In the November number OF the
Marconigraph, a wireless telegraphy
magazine published In London, there
is a report OF debate in the House
OF Commons on the agreement be-.
tween the government and the Mar
coni company for the installation of a
chain Of wireless stations throughout
the empire. It was especially inter
esting for the manner in which Post
master General Samuel disposed Of the,
reports ifsinnating corruption In con-
nection with the contract. One Of the,
press correspondents in the gallery
wrote Never in the history OF the
House Of Commons has there been a
mort shattering and more, crushing re-
ply To odious calumnies.'
In answer to member who re-
ferred to the advance in Marconi
stock during the time that the con
tract was in negotiation and within 3
few months after 1t was published,
Mr.. Samuel asked the member ii he
was aware that a dividend of 90 per
cent was being paid by the company
that year. The member did not know
that fact before. There was a dead
silence when the postmaster general
challenged any member TO repeat the
charges that had been insinuated
Referring to statement that the
Poulsen system had been aDle, to-
nsintain communication between San
Francisco and Honolulu, q distance OF
1000 miles. Mr.. Samuel after q d.
gression to tell how it took Marconi
seven years. with the expenditure of
great sums of money, to succeed in
maintaining continuous communities
ton across the Atlantic by. day-sald
that as soon as he knew that the P0ul-l
sen people had established any COM
munication Of that nature ne SEM an
adviser from the postoffice to San
Francisco to test it, and there is no
evidence. he continued, that they
can maintain that long distance By
day"
Discussion of the Poulsen system
was owing to criticism Of the govern
ment for seeming haste in making 81
contract with the Marconi company
while other systems were undergoing
testing and new devices in wireless
teIegraphy were ever, and again crop
ping up. Samuel's defense to this
criticism was that the Marconi com.
pany had had more experience than
any other wireless concern, also that
the demands of imperial defense re-
CURED prompt action. In the latter
connection, he announced toward the
end OF his speech that ne was going
TO do something unusual. The most
- 49, "a ~.
secret body IN England, not excepting
the cabinet was the committee OF I'M
peflM defense, and he had the permls-
sion uf the prime minister to diyulEe
q secret Of that BODY as such grave
allegations had been made IN this mat
ter Forthwith he gave history Of
the action OF the committee IN the
matter, showing that as long ago as
May 81, 1911, q subcommittee consids
cred this question Of long range wire
less stations. On December IA the
matter was discussed before the com
mittee OF imperial defense itself, and
the members strongly advocated the
urgency Of carrying out that work
Then it became up to him to decide
whether the country ought to wait for
a period certainly of q year before
the contract should be made, and there
was no certainty that at the end Of
that year the stations would commun-
ton and d gamble.