TELEGRAPHIC CABLE COMMUNICATION

Evening Star, Issue 4137, 31 May 1876, Page 4

TELEGRAPHIC CABLE COMMUNICATION

[Bt Blhotmc Telegraph.] . \ osi i ,<r-X’t T i /•'•■ •' 1— WEllington, May 30. ,v iThfi* following is t th«iiem<v. bn telegraph ,* , ; <mi^e qomiannication referred .to in bur Mel-; ' . bourne, teliegiams this/ey ( ening,;—^*The Com- : missioner of Telegraphs is very much iriipressed ' with the necessity which, exists for.. . Australian Colonies coming to a common understanding, and. acting,in cojacert in future with.respect' tocable communication with' ; ' other ceuntries. . .At the recent telegraph ......, conference at St. Petersburg they were not "■ T ’ subjects; of great inter- - .t? were under; consideration, and ‘some resolutions were arrived at from the effect of which they already , suffer. The Commissioner specially alludes to the ten letter per word regulation, and to the regulation imposing an increased charge for inquiry concerning and correction of mistakes. -It is believed that; outside Europe these regulations ttore left to the discretion of the com-, panics, blit it, is. a significant indication of * ■■> ■. the little .consideration, i these- Colonies have received-that; even the; results of the Conference do not appear to have been officially communicated to thenil The ■ Coniimssiouer . ' does hot doubt that, if th6 : attentioh-of the 1 . Ehghsh postal authorities be directed to the ". J subject, arrangements will be made to admit j ..’of the Australasian’ Colonies, being represented at the next Conference to enable this to be done. However, it is necessary that they should arrive at an’ understanding between themselves. The. Commissioner is under the belief that by means of these Conferences, put otherwise, the various Go- * vemments of Great Britaip, Europe, and .exercise great' control oyer the Cable Companies.' The two, Companies communicating‘with India, as also the one ,-V Whioh froiri 1 ’ India' corhmnnicates with * >'Australasia, are certainly to a consider-- .: able extent under the regulating influence, of t . ‘ .; ' the Government of India, It was alleged to the Commission,'during .recent negotiations in England, that the Indian Government would not allow the two.Companies working between and Europe to compete with regjwd to prices,, but,-insisted- Upon a certain tariffcnortrbeing reduced. .-■> Probably the acj tion of theilnoiah jGfovernment was not cor T ~ recfly described, or there is some good rea--v ‘: 'S'cmdid 'justify it; but it would be important to these Coloilies to Understand what that action is. The.Government of India always show courteous'attention to these Colonies, : and doubtless would answey any inquiries ; but it would, be better that the inquiries should proceed unitedly from the Colonies than from a, single one. It would be better if the Government of India would depute someone, to represent them at a Colonial Con- ,, > -ferencb," and it r is not too much to say that ’ - .^..lAustrjdssia’is[dependent upon. India for the and facility of its cable communica- " ' At the Conference of the Australasian 'Xhldmesy held at Sydney ifi 1873, the jj -opinion wasentertained that it was uhdVsir* •’■vjj/, 'j/klple thaii tlje charge of the : cable communication between Australia and England should ' - j he in private £ands, and the whole people '* " charge’ to*''profit shareholders in joinf stock companies. The idea - 3vaß-that the Imperial, Indian, andrAuatra- -. ::u sdian: iGovernpieats should joiner ’raise the - • j; money .necessary .for either.’.purchasing or constructing a through line, and that while eachcountry and Colony should retain" tlie received ui its hands, each should . . contribute tp the interest* maintenance depreciation, and charges, in proportion’ to the ’revenue derived. This proposal found no t favor ip. the eyes of the, then, Imperial Government, and there does notseeih to have been any communication with India on the .- stihject. - But the.policy of the: present Imperial Government is widely different; .and a project which would give to Great Britain," - India,aud the Australasian-Colonies a national line, would probably not be unacceptable to a Government that has shown so jnuch interest in keeping open the road to • India and Australasia: The purchase of the / Suez Canal shares, with the presumptipn it * "establishes that England willat least insist upon the neutrality of that highway, Affords ,;/i ’.«th(prmef|pu pf an unbroken communication .'between! England,. India, had" Australia, • -v'b *1 witiioiit passing through any foreign country. & - . The-Ldstion stations avoided, and the Canai neutral, the through route of the Eastern ■ Company might be considered free from any • : "foreign complications, and by avoiding Java ' 1 . ' the same would be the case with the Eastern^ : ’ route. At any rate the subject is well Worthy of revival. Considering that the interior systems of telegraph of Great-. Britain,. India, apd the Colohms are all in the hands of the respective Governments* a connecting Government cable-appears to be- a natural consequence, whilst. to allow the cables to remain in private bands peemsto be wholly inconsistent. ” Another point, apparently not of much pre,:t .*. /t®ntl momeirtj but one that with time will gather importance, and which cannot b.e foe WD --'r.Boqiii jdgdt .with, -is that; of the qaming of eitt : fownaand cities, y Wh.ena telegfaph station “■ r - has a name,’ of which there is no duplicate in ahy ; other i«rtoof the world, the expense of designating the part of the word may be ‘ . avoided in transmitting a message ; but when it possesses.a name similar to another ’else-” ,v, v - wberelthe cost of sending messages to it is and with'a rate of 10s .': ea a worn rthe consideration is not a slight -?; *one. For example—for messages to.Aucfc--f-"> i -land* Dunedii},,and Christchurch the .names V; ; of New Zealand'is unnecessary; but for mesr; s sagfo to Wellington-it is otherwise, lliere ; ■ mre Wellingtons in 6ther>partß of the world. - • - Eyeh in New Zealand itself there are several ‘j • ’■: '.cases of two' towns of; the same name, and- ' ’ there are similar examples in the Australian r; , The .transmitter of a message to I .u-v -c Maryßorough,*. fpr example, would have to :■ idesigaato whether he meant Maryborough ih v<. - rVicboria or in Queensland. - ,: Simple precaution would prevent the duplication of ■ - names in future. There are other matters - relating .to. both international and external Vi, tolemuphy;..such, for. inistance, as tariffs, cbricutidhs; regulations,' &&; about which uniform action by the Colonies is most desirable. Theae jiVarions considerations point, in the 1 opinion of tbeCqmmissioner, to the desirability * 3 ~«f^ Colonies coming to some 1 dr {. ; understanding in relatibn to the telegraphs, j ■-•.■u.-h-jcltentight.’ be desirable to; have a conference,* ‘ - ir . -or else -for the Colonies,; by correspondence, ! to take united action. If the other Colonies 1 ; i. ■ :i agree that it is desirable; f o move the Im- i

Colonies to £ Representation .af the next,, conference, and if-n-JJ % pbtain from, that Government and from > i-PHcv .Government of .India information as to Kioiui ■' .their. points .herein raised, / Wn- such feqnest might be mad© by endorsing tl itiijjJshis memorandum:without the necessity of ■ - immediate and. .the coU- " ferhace could be held when the answers had .- been deceived. T The-Government 'of New v w i 2fealand, on, receiving an intimation to that ~, r effect, ffdm the ; other Goltinies,'would,-on 1 tV? . fcU own behalf, .make the necessary representations to tho Home 'Government. 75a .a Probably, however* as the Colonies of Yicn> and New .South' Wales use the tdei>m ;■ graph ttt£most‘dargely* the; representations ffs i'' best bSttade lyjr theM jointly, besides that they .could xe ore Conveniently seek the viewnbf the neighboring Colonies, and make* .Would. in>t ie future;jg- • * action! byCl! these Colonies • an the telegmph J i|d£fetion. | &■ •$ Jtofc Vofcjai;., ~.] yfeMnirt,