CABLE CODES

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1928, Page 1

CABLE CODES

THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON, Sept. 21. The Acting-Postmaster-General (the Hon K. S'. Williams) announces that a report has been received by telegraph from the New Zealand delegate to the International Telegraph Conference, now being held at Brussels. The conference was called specially to deal with the use of code language in cable messages, and to consider a proposal made by a committee set up by the last international conference held at Paris in 1925 that code words be charged, for at the rate of five letters to each word. The telegram is as follows: “A compromise under which the public will have a choice of two alternative was agreed upon in principle ’by a large majority of the conference to-day. The ten-letter code system is to he maintained at the present rates, with a stipulation that each ten-letter group contains not less than three vowels. The alternative system provides for a five-letter code system at two-thirds of the full rate. Plain language telegrams will not be affected and addresses and signatures will lie changed for in ah cases under the plain language rules, but at a special commission, which will also consider, inter alia, whether plain language grouping under , the five-letter system will be allowed.