ATLANTIC CABLE COMBINE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1235, 18 September 1911, Page 6

ATLANTIC CABLE COMBINE.

AMERICAN CONTROL.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Ooorrifrht

London, September 15.

Tho Weston Union Company lias leased the lines of the Anglo-American and Direct United States Cablo Companies for niuety-nino years. Tho amalgamation entails two British Atlantic cahlcs pas» ing under American control.

WEAK LINK IN THE "ALL RED"

CABLE.

Tho reccnt combine or arrangement Ikstwecn tho Atlantic cab!o companies, by which competition to Europe is very considerably lessened, may not at first sight appear to havo much inllucnco on Australian interests or on the question of tho "All Bed" communication throughout tho Empire with which wo aro so keenly concerned. When, however, it is rccogiiised that such a combination strikes at tha weakest part of our pro-, sent system, it is to bo hoped that tho Imperial authorities and tho representatives of the Dominions beyond tho seas who constitute tho Pacific Cable Board will tako prompt precautious so as to render themselves • secure from tho undoubted menace now confronting them. It is matter of history that tho Pacifio cablo was tho outcome of tho establishment of tho overland Canadian telegraph line. It is felt that tho board should havo full control over its ifiossages from tho time they are given to them till they aro delivered, and that tho present arrangement by which they aro handed to one of tho private companies for _ transmission across tho Atlantic is unsatisfactory. Now that there are practically only two companies doing business, tho position is likely to be worse, as it is evident that during any pressure of work tho Pacific messages which aro taken at lower rates than ordinary will he delayed and preference given to tho companies' fully-paid cables.

Atlantic Lino and Pacific Board, The remedy seems to be cither tlio leasing of one of the unused Atlantic wires or the laying dovn by the Pacilio Hoard of an Atlantic cable of their own, and ono of these courses is essential to the development of tlio full benefits of our Imperial line, apart from tlio feclili;,' that wo should not liavo a. partial' system only or be dependent upon private companies for portion of our work. The fact that the present Atlantic companies may bs British-owned does not do away with these objections. Till tho past year messages were sent across Canada by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Cablo Hoard have now made an arrangement with tlio railway by which they control their own work from Vancouver to Montreal, and tlio results as regards speed and accuracy have been noticeably better. If this has been tlio ease with tlie railway portion, which has always been in sympathy with tlio project, tlio results should be at least equally good if the board controls the remaining portion of the journey. Further, I hero is little doubt that ii the whole dist.mco between Australia and London were in the hands of the board a very considerable reduction in rales could be made which would bo of immediate advantage to tlio public, and Iho growth of tralho would also verv 'shortly bo renin nonativo (o Hie Cable Hoard. As long as there is divided ownership in tho messages tin's lowering of rates cannot Ixi affected, at all events to the extent it might othcrw.ise take. Tho present ralo for ordinary messages to London is a word, and of course tho chief factor in determining the rate should 1» the amount of work which tho line could carry in 24 hours.