THE CABLE QUESTION.

Dunstan Times, Issue 554, 29 November 1872, Page 2

THE CABLE QUESTION.

The whole outlay in this direction—by no means a small one—promises to be a dead lossdo the Press under these circumstances the result must be that many newspapers will release themselves, as soon as possible, from their obligations to take the telegrams; and a large section of the newspaper reading public will have to wait much longer than they should do to be posted up in the current history of the old world News of deep interest and importance will be received at times which it is fair to the community' generally should be dissemminated by the spediCst possible means throughout the country; and then, because the local newspapers have been compelled to relieve themselves of the ruinous expense of the reception -of telegraphic inteligence from India or Europe, they will find that they have .brought down upon themselves a most undesirable amount of censure and even obloquy. But what ->re they to do? Are their proprietors to be asked to ruin or even to seriously inju'e themselves, in order to keep up the publication of the uninteresting messages from beyond seas which people are really beginning scarcely to care to read. There can be no doubt some newspapers will cease to take the telegrams .in consequence of their expensivenass, for on many of them the tax falls too heavily to b» borne Very long, and every journal that falls off frora'the association will add to the burden of those which remain in .it, and it is possihie that this may grow to be intolerable, and so, except on very important occasions, the submarine cable and the overland lino thrbugh Australia, whioh have been laid and constructed at so much cost, will be of no avail to the public. Looking soma distance ahead of us into future, wo may ask whether it may, not be possible , that the business of the line,may fall off. to such an extent that it may become-a,. question whether any necessary repairs to tho telegraph will bo worth effecting. Surely tho Government of these colonies should find it Worth their while to avert such' a contingency as this; and unite to subsidise the line in a liberal manner.^- Bendigo Adver~ deer.