PACIFIC CABLE BOARD

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2545, 20 August 1915, Page 2

PACIFIC CABLE BOARD

♦ - AND RECRUITING ITS DUTY TO THE EMPIRE The following copy of a letter from tho manager in the Pacific of the Pacific Cable Board, addressed to the Postmaster-General of Ulie Dominion, under date of August li, is published for general information.' The cutting referred to in the, first paragraph contains the report of-the question asked in Parliament by Mr. 1\ W. Khodes of the Minister of Defence as to the number of men from the Pacific Cable Board's Office, Auckland, w'ho have en.-, listed with the Expeditionary Force, and as to the, conditions of their enlistment in relation to their civil employment:— "Sir, —I have the honour to invite your attention to the attached cutting from the 'New Zealand Herald,' Auckland, of July 29th. ' "I venture to address, you on the matter, as it would appear that theposition of the Pacific Cable Board with regard to 'their employees volunteering for active military service is not correctly realised. \ "The Pacific cable is one of the only two routes by which communication between Australasia and the various parts of the British Empire and Allied nations can be maintained, and there appears no possible doubt that it is essential to tile best interests of the Empire that the very fullest cable facilities should be" kept open, and with this end in view my board have done everything possible to utilise the carrying capacity of the Pacific cablo to the utmost, maintaining not. only the ordinary, but the cheaper, rates. "Since the war' broke out, the traffio handled by the Pacific cable has increased to such an extent that for tho last six months its carrying capacity has been severely taxed; the, cable is now never idlo for one minute, day or night, Sundays or holidays. Every member of <tho staff at every station is now working a considerable amount of overtime every day, besides seven days per week. • ''This has put an enormous strain oil the board's staff, both from a physical and nervous point of view, and .yet there is no alternative to' this but to curtail tho facilities for cable communication. It is impossible to engage qualified cable operators in Australasia or any otlier part of the world, and they cannot be trained under two years. "It is owing to the above circumstances and to the fact that my board conceive it to be in -the best interests of the Empire that facilities for cable communication should not be curtailed, that they are asking all their employees to remain at their posts and are not offering any facilities for them to enlist. "It appears to me unthinkable that the_ Pacific Cable Board, oomposed as it is of representatives of the Imperial, Canadian, Now Zealand, and Australian Governments would, except in the very best interests of the Empire, put any obstacles in the way of their employees enlisting for military service. "The board's employees can only be looked upon as public servants and their work as indispensablo to the Empire at the present time. In justice t-o the Pacific. Cabin Board, I would most respectfully ask that publicity be given to this explanation, in order that tho impression given, by tho remarks quoted in the 'New Zealand Herald,' that the board's action is unpatriotic, may he removed.—l have, etc., "(Sgd.) J. MILWARD, Manager' in the Pacific. RULING OF THE ARMY COUNCIL. In reference to the above, Mr. Wright, representative of the Eastern Extension Company at present .in Wellington, points out that at the 81st ordinary general meeting of the Eastern Extension Company, held on tile llt-h May last, Sir John Wolfe Barry, the president, in his address, made the following remarks:— "It being impossible to speedily replace our highly trained and technical staff, the authorities do not desire them to enlist, and. although many of them would have liked to take some active part in tho war, they have, with somo few exceptions, accepted the ruling of the Army Council, who expressed the view, that, having regard to their special qualifications, they are better serving their country bv remaining at thoir oost« than bj iominc tha fighting .forces"- " j