COST OF CABLEGRAMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 27

COST OF CABLEGRAMS

MELBOURNE, August 3. In connection with Mr Henniker Heaton's suggr b tion that the expenditure by the Britirh and colonial Governments on cablegrams would ]jay the interest on the capital nece.-sary to purchase the cables, doubt is expressed" on the point. A return prepared for the year ended December 31 shows that, while 1,188,100 words were sent by the Australian public over the Pacific cable, the Government sent only 23,291 words, representing a revenue of £1892. The ordinary messages received ! in Australia by the same route totalled 961,479 words, and the Government messages 26,029 words. LONDON. August 5. The Chronicle interviewed Sir J. G. Ward on the subject of cable rates. Sir Joseph said he was unable to go as far as a. penny-a-word cablegrams at present, but 6d a word would pay over and over again compared with the present > restrictive charges. When private people j used the cables for domestic and social purposes the access-ion of cable business would be enormous. He had no desire to reflect on the management of the rable companies, but he believed that the cables ought to be State-owned. Sir J. G. Ward favoured a reduction in cable charges by stages, as this method would give confidence to administrators to gradually lower their charge?. Per?onally he considered reduction one of the most pressing questions of the day. Ho disliked anything that might be* unfair to the cable-owneis, but it wac m<-,=t regrettable that the people of the grr-at growing oversea.- dominion;- >-houM be kept in a portion of i.-olation through their inability to u>o the cables which we«e s-o -much unoccupied. He stiongly favoured State owrcl caljlo-> between the Motln-iland and her dominion*, and he was hopeful that cxi.-ting conditions wouM not 1.°. -I much longer. He al-o m tilth fa veined «m "All Rerl " or an all Biiti-h nt-am seivke. He recojt-

nised that many difficulties existed, add- ,• ing : " But the more you reduce distances j and give the people of the Motherland and j her new countries the opportunity of meet- ' ing, the greater becomes the tendency to j do business mutually."