A CABLE CONFERENCE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 31 January 1901, Page 4

A CABLE CONFERENCE.

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.)

Melbourne, January 31.

A Conference of the Premier, Messrs Gurr, Warren, and Seddon was held in connection with the Eastern Extension Cable Coy’s charges and the right to open their own offices was held to-day The Premier of Queensland telegraphed from his colony that whilst not seeing his way to grant the Coy’s terms he is prepared to assure their business fair treatment, at the same time working fairly with the Pacific contracting parties. Messrs Turner and Seddon congratulated him on this view, and with Queensland would be no party to giving terms to the Eastern Extension Coy that the Imperial Government and Canada deem prejudical to the Pacific, and which would decrease the business over that line and increase the contribution of the contracting parties. The sugggstion which, it is understood, emanated from the Pacific Cable Advisory Board, is to the effect that there should be a common purse, or in other words that arrangements the same as exist with other companies in America and elsewhere should be made, and work under a fixed tariff, and to transmit messages in case of a breakdown the transmitting company giving a percentage to the company that would otherwise have forwarded the message. The discussion on this and the other suggestion as to a point memorandum is to be sent to the Eastern Extension Company.

The Governments of Victoria and Queensland are very firm in their refusal to do anything that would stultify the respective colonies in the eyes of the other Pacific contracting parties.