6 JULY 1944, Page 23

MPANY MEETING

CABLE AND WIRELESS

(The Operating Company) RECORD TRAFFIC RECEIPTS he annual meeting of Cable and Wireless, Limited, held on Thursday, ve the £io,000,000- mark. But profit was down by £5o,OoO, owing e nth, that for the first time the company's gross receipts had risen expenses having risen and to increased provision for E.P.T. by ecord traffic receipts of £9,420,000 and additional other income of e than £140,000 enabled Sir Edward Wilshaw, chairman, to announce £800,000 acquired since the end of the year) totalled £6,250,000. By oo,000 was payable for taxation, while tax reserve certificates (includ- end of 1943 the company had hi addition £1 1,00°,000 in British ,000 to £2,000,000. He estimated that at the end of 1943 some ernment and other securities.

it Edward commented that they must not cavil at high taxation ; if cost of -the war were not found in this way it would have to be

d in others which might impose greater burdens. evelopment policy had been followed mainly in directions which t help the war effort. Costly wireless relay stations had been created vercome " fading " difficulties ; funds had been created for establish- facsimile picture transmission and telephony throughout the system ; lar provision had been made for cable development. Edward attacked the " popular misconception " that cables and less were rivals, adding Ziat experience since the 1929 merger had that they were complementary to each other, giving strength and bility under unified contror.

of ntinued. Empire support was essential ; the company could not con-

responsibility for carrying the main burden of maintaining Empire unications if Empire support were withdrawn and financial resources ed into other hands—a disastrous policy. Yet the company had d been taken into the confidence of the Commonwealth Conuntmica- Council, but had been asked only to give evidence ; it had not yet II officially informed of any report or recommendations. Sir Edward a iunced that funds had been set aside for considerable developments iu ghout the Colonial Empire. arming ahead had been necessary to maintain communications with

nced Army H.Q. on the various fronts. Several women operators Ce already gone overseas in the new uniformed Telcom organisation. I0 Minister of Information had accepted Sir Edward's offer to carry TO of charge during the war all pictures sent to or from the Ministry.

view of the importance of Press traffic the Army Council had also ioned the release of a senior member of the technical staff to take e of a new department as a Press liaison officer. Complementary • s work, a new department of Public Relations, untrammelled by administrative duties, had been established to effect closer liaison the general public, as actual and potential user of the service. Edward paid tribute to the invaluable comoperation he had received the Service Ministries, the General Post Office and the Ministry of ation. He welcomed the election of Lord Reith and Sir John law-Milne to the court of directors, of Brigadier H. J. Lenton as or resident in South Africa, and of Mr. A. H. Ginman, president e Canadian Marconi Company, to a similar position in regard to

e chairman concluded with a special tribute to the staff's stista.ined in the national interest in the face of depleted numbers and in- xl d civil defence duties, and expressed his gratitude to those serving e battle frqnts, and his sympathy with those who had fallen into hands and to the relatives of those who had given their lives in use of freedom.

report and accounts were unanimously adopted.