THE SCHEME AS OUTLINED IN THE REPORT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 5

THE SCHEME AS OUTLINED IN THE REPORT.

SERVICE CONDITIONS-STATE CABLES. Tho report on which the Federal Government scheme is based was submitted last year, by the Committee of tho Senate. The appointment of tho committee was mainly the outcomo of charges of monopoly iuado against the Australian Cable Association by Senator Pearcc. Senator Pearce was chairman of the committee, and is now, Minister for Defence in tho now Federal Labour Government. There was a minority report 'of the committee, signed by two members. The majority report is adverse to the Cable' Association. Its.main points are:—

Association Indicted. Your committee are of opinion that the present position is undesirable and detrimental to the public interest, bocause it (a) Makes it extremely difficult—if not absolutely impossible—for any new and competing newspapers to obtain a cable service at a reasonable rate. (b) Gives an imperfect cable service, and does not give sufficient news of various parts of the Empire. (c) Retards by its costliness the spread of knowledge and the world's news anion? people. (d) Makes it difficult for the provincial press to establish or maintain an effective supply of cables, and thus tends to centralise power and influence in a few metropolitan journals. Remedies. Several remedies have been suggested, among which, the committee drew attention to the following:— (1) Completion of "the All-Ked cable roitto by laying down an Atlantic cable section and Canadian land line. (2) The establishment of, a Commonwealth news agency in London in the officp of the High Commissioner, and the dissemination of news thus collected among papers requiring it in Australia. (3) Payment of a subsidy to a press 'cable association in Australia, conditionally upon (a) free entrance of all newspapers tD the association; (b) uniform system' of rates and charges, based upon population and circulation; (c)" selection of news allowed to, country newspapers; (d) right of subscribers to use cables from other sources.

(i) The passing of a Federal copyright law in press messages, making copyright conditional, as abovo. Recommendations. Your committee, after fnll consideration, make the following recommendations:— (1) Completion of the All-Red cable route by laying down an Atlantio cable section and Canadian land line, the result of whioh would make possible a substantial reduction in charges for press cables. (2) For present purposes and to meet existing difficulty a subsidy, commencing at £2000, be offered to any press cable association, on tho conditions set forth in suggestion No. 9 being accepted. (3) That the High Commissioner's office be utilised for, the collection of and dispatch to Australia of Empire news. (■1) That should any amendment of the Copyright Act be brought forward copyright in press cables be made conditional, as set out in paragraph 3 of suggestions. Your committee considers that the restriction prohibiting newspapers supplied with cable news by the Cable Association from publishing news received through any other source is exceedingly injurious, and recommends that steps should be taken to make such restriction impossible.