CABLE KINGS & RINGS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1774, 12 June 1913, Page 6

CABLE KINGS & RINGS.

HOW PRICES ARE KEPT UP.

AN INTERVIEW WITH SIR J. HENNIKER HEATON. Sir J. Henniker Heaton returned rto Australia by the Medina, which arrived at Fremantle on Juno 3. "lam out on a health trip," he said in an interview with the Sydney "Telegraph's" correspondent, "and I shall probably stay some mouths. 1 l'ound life a great deal too strenuous in Loudon, receiving deputations and granting interviews. \ou must know that. Having seen universal penny postage showing well up 011 the horizon, I am now concerned in the bringing about of cheapened cables." What is the reform you proposo to bring about? . "1 feel confident that in time we shall see throughout tho world a ruling cable rate of twelve words for ono shilling. J want the Governments of Australia and i\'ew Zealand to co-operato with 1110 towards this great end, and 1 trust they will not make a party question of it. The main difficulty in tho way is tho mountain of vested interests, and no matter whether Liberals or Conservatives are in power in England this great stumblingblock will always come up. Although 1 am a Conservative myself, 1 am almost wicked enough to hope for Labour adniinistration, because they may not bo frightened by vested interests. Allow mo to instance the difficulties which ore in tho way. The cablo kings and rings have seized the God-given gift of electricity, and devoted it to the solo use of millionaires, to tho exclusion of millions. They keep idle tho majority of tlie cables to America in order to keep up the shil-iing-a-word rate. No less than threo hundred million words can be telegraphed to America annually, and only twnnty million words are transmitted. "Peoplo say my idea is absurd. Is >t when you consider that in Australia you can send from Broome to Cape York, a distance of seven thousand miles, a message of sixteen, words forji shilling, and that from London to India, a uistanco 01 about four thousand live hundred miles, it costs one 325. to send a sixteen words message. You can see the force of my argument. Why, in my presenco a telegraph draft was sent from London to Kurachi automatically and it was never touched. This indicates the cheapness of transmission. Tho cable kings arc centred in London, and they control the cablo services of tho world. They are responsible for tho present disgraceful state of affairs between England and America, Thero are sixteen lines, ond many of these are regularly idle. A. man working in a London offico of this ring has discovered a wonderful principle of electricity whereby it will be possiblo to send to America 1,200,000,000 words per year and 300,000,000 words to Australia. I think tho lines to Australia nro at present capable of sending 50,000,000 words, while ■ they actually only carry 5,000,000. It is monstrous that this state of aftairs should exist. It is. certain that they would not bo tolerated in any other part of the world. You ask mo what I would do towards gaining a cheaper rate.' Nell, I can reply that I would nationalise, the wires, giving tho companies a fair price for their business. "Tho peoplo of England,now pay four or fivo millions sterling annually for cable communication, yet the • charges are so high that it is only ono in. a hundred messages that is a family or social message. Tho British and colonial Governments now pay nearly a quarter of_ a million sterling every year for official cablo messages. This sum would go far towards tho interest in purchasing tho cables from tho companies here. I 0111 a fairly old man of G5, living most of my time so far from Australia that it is thrco months before I can get a reply to ny How many peoplo aro in that predicament? The companies keep tho prices up and starve the wires, tut I urn quito confident that the cheap cable will , come about. Public opinion will soon ]>o ; too strong. Australia is doing lier share towards bridging the gulf. The first arch , is the Government-owned wire between - Australia and Canada; the second arch > can be supplied by a wire between Canada ; and England. It is alleged that the • I'.M.G. threatened the companies that if they did not reduce tlieir prices they ; would not receive the support of tho Gov- , ornment. This brought .about tho weekend or deferred message, to Australia. , To show you the farco of this, I must explain that when I was 111 Australia last » year, some 50 to 60 messages were cabled c out to me, and a service of 20 words for 18s. sent from London on Saturday, reacn- . Ed Sydney on Saturday morning, and was : pigeonholed till Tuesday, rather than deliver before tho urgent wires. I know that 3 Australians like a joke, and that ought r to amuse them. Australians should rise i as one man against this wickedness. The s whole of tho cables are idle in order to .- satisfy vested interests. :- Sir HcnniHor Heaton then dwelt in an r interesting manner with politics at Jiome. He is a fervent admirer of Mr. Herbert Samuel, and said lie regarded him as tho future Prime Minister of England. "Cautious, a perfect speaker, and extra- » ordinarily astute, lie shows a fine grasp i of financial matters. Ho is bound to li.u 0 II a gTcat future," lie says. I must sa> •- this of him, although I don't agree with t his politics, he is also, with the exception of Lord Morley, tlie most distinguished scholar in the House, and ; his lifo lias been devoted to literature. Sir Henniker Heaton, together with 9 Ladv Henniker Heaton and Misss Hennileer Heaton, paTd a visit to Barron, the Governor of West Australia.