PRESS AND CABLES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 549, 2 July 1909, Page 5

PRESS AND CABLES.

A DEPUTATION. PRlfclE MINISTERS REPLY. SYMPATHETIC BOT • (By SWeßrtkjdi.— Ptgbb Aesoclotton.-OopyrlithU ' (ftee. July 1, 11.16 p.m.) London, July 1, Tho Prime Minister, Mr. Aeqnith, along with the Postmaster-General (Mr. Buxton) and tho for the Colonics (Colottol Sooly), received a deputation of the dolegates to tho Imperial Press Conference, headed by Mr. A. E. Lawson (editor of tho • "Madras Mail," Ihdia), who asoribed the Pacific Cable Board's concession in prost cable rates largely to the influence of Mr. Moborly Bell, of "The Times." CaWe competition Ntwtetf. Mr. P. D. Ross (editor of the "Eventual -Journal," Ottawa, Canada) urged that there , ought to bo State intervention, owiia • to the combination tho cable companies which) ho believed, - were unjustly keeping up, tho rate*, the delegates did not wish the Government jbo run any State line at & lass,. ■' but on i a eommorotal basis the Compamce , ' should bo compelled to meet competition. - Mr. J. 0. Fairfax (of tho "Bydney Morn* ing Herald") isu&gested preferential cheaper I cable rates for British Parliamentary !«>«• ' ' 1 and Ministerial statements. Mr. Q. lceiiwiek ("Otago bally Times") , emphasised Ne.W Zealand's desire to assist Canada in obtaining an Imperial all-round* ' tWworld cable.aovornmtmt's M*ans oi Action "Vory ,' Limited," v ' Mr. .Astjuith said that cheaper electrie ' towjmmieation Vas important, in tiro, in* tercets of the hiercantllo marine, And wai perhaps even more important in the diffusion ' < of accurate intelligence. The Imperial G<w-' ornment was entirely sympathetic,with the ' " genoral objects of tho deputation, especially tho roduofcioti of cable rates o,n press inoW nges. As rogarde the oable Companies, the . Government's means of taction was Very ' ' - limited, but its' influence would bo used an < far as ppßsiblo in thb iflßtter of reduction of ' rates. He added that Vw\h reference 10. the "nl- ,' leged combination of cable companies, they niUßt rccoghiso that tho companies had pro* ' vided a ttorld-wido system of ohormftus valu* ,to the Empire, and had reduoed their rfltea in recent ytare. ,The moist powerful arg\i« ment that the representatives of the press, could 'H6O for the of influeiicing the cahlO Oompanies was an assuranco of lofgoly increased traffic. ~ ; Mr. Asqulth's Hope. ' Sβ hoped that tho Govcrliment and the Standing Committee set Up by the PrWa x Conference would bo enabled U> aooelerftte the develop'moftt v ef one of the first ifebjileitis of such an Einpfro as ours—a cheap, certain, constant, convenient, universally atcoeslble system of oleotrio oommunication. (Cheore.) Mr. Kyffin Thomas ("Adelaide Bogieter"), on behalf of the deputation, thanked th« |Primo Minister for'roeeiring them in_B«eli I a kindly and coilrteotis way,' and for hit sympathotlc epcech. ALLECED COMBINE. /-. v PRESS'CABLEGRAMS THROtJGfi ONE ' CHANNEL Melbourne, July 1. In tho Federal Senate, Senator Peaoo (exfor Dcfoncfi) oallod tho attention 1 of tho Fodoral Government to a statement , published in a business circular, that there was an agreement of Austrian papers to> tako cablegrams through one channel, which was an offence under the Indbstries Preservation Act (generally known m the A*ti* Trust' Lav). ' The Senator asked the Minister frhothor i he would inquire if tie facts were as etatodi and, if so, whether he wooJtd prosoento. .