TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1977, 6 September 1869, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND.

In an article on the above ■ subject the / yttelton Times says :—lt is necessary to bear in mind that the chief cities in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania are in telegraphic communication with each other. Three distinct proposals for an Indo-Australian telegraph have emanated from Victoria, though not officially. All make Adelaide their starting poin t, and involve what at first sight appears a very large outlay. The first proposal is, that a submarine cable should be laid from Adelaide to King George’s Sound, a distance of 1016 miles, and from the Sound to Galle direct, 3,295 miles. Including the usual allowance of ten per cent, on the mileage for slack and divergence in submerging, the total length of this line would be 4,782 miles, and tho cost about L 807,800. It is pointed out, in connection with this proposal, that Cocos Island, which lies nearly midway between King George’s Sound and Galle, would afford a convenient break and transmitting station. By using this island in the manner suggested, it is urged that it would become of great service to passing ships, which could report themselves and inquire for freight. The suggestion, viewed in this light, carries considerable force, but there is one very obvious objection to # the course proposed. In case of war, any small armed vessel belonging to an enemy could land a boat’s crew and cut off communication. This danger might, it is true, be obviated, but only by lessening the conducting power of the cable. If Cocos Island were used as a repeating station, the cable between King George’s Sound and Galle would be divided into two sections of about 1647 miles each, which is forty-three miles less than the Atlantic cable points from Valencia to Bull’s Bay. The second proposal differs from the first in carrying the line overland from King George’s Sound to Fremantle, in Western Australia, a distance of 270 miles. By doing this, a saving would be effected in two ways—the land line could be constructed at a third of the cost, and the length of the cable to Galle would be shortened by about 399 miles. Cocos Island would also be in a more direct line between Fremantle and Galle, and thus dividing the distance, each section would be or ly about 1448 miles in length. The total cost of this route is estimated at L 747,450. The third proposal appears to have met with most favor. As in those already described, it includes a cable from Adelaide to King George’s Sound; an overland line thence to Fremantle; a cable from Fremantle to Java He id, where connection could be established with Batavia ; a cable from Batavia to Singapore, from Singapore to Penang, and from Penang to Galle. The total length of this line would be over 5,000 miles, and the cost about L 877,350. If this line were adopted, it is alleged that the Australian Colonies would not be called on to contribute more than the cost from Adelaide to Java Head, and half the cost from Batavia to Singapore, The line from Galle to the latter place is an IndOImperial work, which will eventually be carried on to Manilla, China, and Japan. It is assumed that the Dutch Government would willingly pay half the cost of the cable between Batavia and Singapore, and there seems no reason to suppose that they would refuse to do so. The total cost to the Australasian colonies of the third route is estimated at L 392,125. It is right to say, however, that, all the calculations are based on an allowance of LISO per mile for the cable. This is considerably under the usual scale, but the authority of “ a clever and thorough electric engineer ” is adduced is support of the smaller sura. It is assumed, on the strength of an implied promise of aid contained in a British Treasury minute, that the Imperial Government would contribute one-third of the whole cost. They might in some rare fit of generosity, do so, but the probability is that they would tell the colonies to rely on themselveis. The Imperial Government will giye any amount of “ sympathy,” but they will not give money, if they can by any possibility avoid doing so. If, however, the English mercantile classes were to realise the fact that a penny save I is not always a penny gained, the Imperial Government might be induced to contribute something; perhaps, as is suggested, one-third. Even in that case, the Australasian colonies would still have to find from L 260,000 to L 340,000. The extension of the luj

to New Zealand, by means of a cable from, say Sydney, would probably cost L 290,000. To put the whole case in a different way, and as briefly as possible the establishment of telegraphic communication between England and New Zealand means an outlay of more than a million of money. That Australia will be connected with England in a few years cannot be doubted. This accomplished, New Zealand could not afford to lag behind.