The Globe. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1018, 29 September 1877, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1877.

Now that cable communication is interrupted, the publication of a joint memorandum on the subject, signed by ISir Julius A'ogel and Mr Michie, is well timed. The Melbourne Argus gives the chief points raised in it. After discussing at length the advantages of cable communication, the memorandum goes on to say that the Eastern Extension Company deserves well of the colonists, j and its claims cannot be overlooked ;' that it would probably be deemed illiberal in Governments, and would prove discouraging to future private enterprise, if with money borrowed at is low as they can now borrow, the Governments were to go into opposition to the Company without giving it; the opportunity of disposing of its! interests on reasonably favourable 1 terms to itself. It is therefore suggested that before erecting fresh works, all reasonable efforts should be made to acquire existing ones. The Company, it is stated,

has expended £(300,000 on the line between Singapore and Port Darwin ; the New Zealand and Australian cable cost about £290,000, and the Tasmanian about £70,000, amounting in all to about £900,000. The memorandum, before dealing with the figures, considers the mode of duplication between Australasia and Europe. Tasmania and New Zealand, it points out, should also be secured against accident to their present single line of communication. This, it points out, might be cheaply effected by laying a line between the two colonies themselves, which would in effect give each an alternative means of communication with the main Australasian system, and a line to connect Tasmania and New Zealand would cost about £200,000. From England to Singapore, with the exception of the Penang section, there are two lines the whole way; between Singapore and Australia there is but one. The routes from which selection can be made are probably as follows : —l. New Zealand to San Francisco by way of Honolulu. 2. Western Australia to Galle. 3. Western Australia (North-west Cape) to Singapore, by way of Java. -1. Normanton to Port Darwin, partly by water, partly by land, and from Port Darwin to Singapore, by cable throughout, touching at Java. 5. Normanton or Cape York to Singapore, by cable throughout, touchiug at Java, but not at Port Darwin. The memorandum then discusses at length the merits of the above routes, and comes to the conclusion that either No. 4or No. 5 should be adopted. The cost of route •!< would be about £050,000, while that of 5 has been variously estimated at from £750,000 to £1,000,000. The expenditure under the proposal is estimated as follows : Port Darwin to Singapore £600,000 Sydney to New Zealand 290,000 The existing Tasmanian line ... 70,000 The line proposed from Tasmania to New Zealand 200,000 The line proposed from Normanton to Singapore 650,000 £1,810,000 Four per cent, on' which] would be 72,000 Add subsidy to South Australia ... 10,000 £82,400 Sny £82,400 annually. In the above statement the goodwill to be paid to the Eastern Extension Line has not been included, but it is suggested that they would be satisfied with 10 or 15 per cent. The memorandum then deals at length with the financial aspect of the question. It is proposed that the charges on the route should be reduced to 6s per word to Port Darwin, or 7s 5d to Adelaide; at present the charge to Adelaide is 10s Bd, but it is suggested that when the lines are in the hands of the Governments considerable reductions might be made without loss of revenue. The proposal includes a reduction of 3d per word on the New Zealand cable. The total revenue is estimated as follows : —lndia to Singapore, £18,600; Singapore to Port Darwin, £47,000; Sydney to New Zealand, £14,000; subsidy paid by New South Wales and New Zealand Governments, £7500; Australia to "lasmania, about £5000; proposed Tasmania and New Zealand line, about £8500; the proposed subsidy, £20,000; total, £115,600.