Possibilities and Abuses of Wireless Telegraphy
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For instance, assume that we should desire to establish an independent trans-Atlantic wireless service, and we should apply to the government for a permit, the locality being, say, somewhere on the New England coast. There are already numerous stations the entire length of the coast, and if we were fortunate enough to obtain a permit at all, it would be with restrictions to hours during which none of the other stations would care to operate. Moreover, 1s it to be supposed that the telegraph and cable companies would, should a law controlling wireless be enacted, remain passive and allow us to establish trans-Atlantic service, when a protest and a little influence used in Washington would prevent it?
The telegraph and cable companies have been very persistent in publicly ignoring wireless telegraphy as a competitor, but a recent circular issued to the managers of all its offices by the Western Union Telegraph Company indicates the real attitude. In this circular it 1s ordered that all messages offered by the Marconi Company for transmission to points on this side must be treated as local messages, be dated at Glace Bay, N. B,, and be charged for at the local rate. “Code messages cannot be accepted in such messages, which must be fully addressed in accordance with the rules governing the transmission of domestic messages. If the Marconi wishes to give any indication of other origin, they must do so in the body of the message. The message must be checked at full commercial rate, whether addressed to a news-