Cable Subsidy.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 243, 25 February 1888, Page 5

Cable Subsidy.

Wellington, February 17 . In a leading article, ovidently inspired, the "Post" denies the truth of the statement in the Auckland Star that Sir W. Fitzherbert sold New Zealand at the Postal Conference in regard to the cable service, and then goes on to say : "So far from committing the colony in any degree to renew nil the cable subsidy, his action at the Conference put an end at once and for all to the .scheme for exacting the subsidy from New Zealand. ' Theaiticlegoesontosay that on the day on which Sir William Fitzherbert took his s-eat (25rd Januniy) at the Conference the chaii man wished to plunge into the question of the New Zealand cable i-ates, but Sir William secured, a postponement oi the matter until attcr the loprobentatheh of the Eastern Extension and l'aciiie Z\lail Companies hud pUced their proposal on the table, and laid matters generally before the conference. In securing this order of business New Zealand representatives decidedly scored, a point. Tfie evidence brought out this, belies of facts in connection with the New Zealand cable : That the cable had co^t originally .L' 290,000, but that a similar cable could now be laid tor £150,000, and that the Company would prob.ibly not be disinclined to sell at about that puce ; that the cable had never neoded any icpaius zincc it was laid ; that nothing had been wnttenoffits value for depreciation, and that calculations as to it- no:. p.iMii'4 inu-ust i\ose made on the basis of " value ot L300,U00 capital, or in other woid*, doubir* the real value of the cable, and double what a new cable could be laid tor. Thoe facts at once cut away the ground from under the Company's feet, anil entirely upset the calculations on which their claim for subsidy was advanced. The Conference quickly lealiscd the lact that the Company ■wa% without subsidy, leally making a very fair return on the market value of its cable. The geneial pioposals of the Company with reference to the Aus>lialian-En"-lish cables was simply that if the colonies would gnaiantec for three yeai.s a .subtidy which would make the Company's receipts per annum equal to the average of the three last ycais they would reduce the rate to 4s pel wind. If no increase of traffic followed, this would make the guaiantee t'73 750 pci annum, while if the traffic doubled, the colonies would only have to make up between them i' 18,750 per year by way of subsidy. In the discussion of thc-si- prop )S-ils, .Sir Win, Fitzherbert pointed out that as the Imperial Government had in legard to new Australian Mail Service contented to contribute £95,000 as against the colonies' £75,000, and a? telegraphic communication was as much a matter of Imperial concern as mail communication, the lm penal authonties if applied to could scaicely help joining the colonies in making up any subsidy required. The whole matter was very fully discussed and ultimately the following' resolution was parsed (Queensland alone dis-enting): "That as all the Australian colonies are interested in the maintenance of cable communication with Great Biitaiu thi« Conference is of opinion that each of these colonies .should contribute in pioportion to the extent of its population to the subsidies now paid by the contracting colonies to the Eastern Extension Company and that a like devision cost should be made between all the colonies lepresentec! at this conference of the cables communicating with Tasmania and New Zealand, Oieat Britain to be requested to contribute towards the subsidy given to the Eastern Extension Comp.my in respect of the cables connected with the tratlic with the United Kingdom, provided always that it is understood that the right to purchase the Australasian cables of the Eastern Extension Company i-> to be in the hands of the colonies who arc now paying, or may consent to pay, the above subsidies in the manner provided at any time, upon giving the Company the notice prescribed in the subsidy agreement.' It •was At Sir W. Fitzherbert's instance that the purchasing clause was inserted, and he supported the le-olution as above, ieeling that as New Zealand would benefit by reduced rates, her refusal to join in the arrangement ■would create much ill feeling on the part of the tfther colonies and prejudice this <olony in many ways. As the arrangement was dependent on the Imperial Government for the first time joining the -colonies in a cable subsidy, in which case the proportion required to be •conbribotcd by New Zealand would be very small, and as it practically disposed of the question of a separate subsidy for a New Zealand cable, New Zealand having ceased to oontnbute anything to the Eastern Extension Company, Sir W. Fitzherbert deemed it politic and wise to support the proposal I*,1 *, but in doing so he most distinctly informed the Conference that he was acting without instructions and entirely on his own responsibility, so that the other colonies must not deem the New Zealand P&rliasKmt guilty of any breach of faith if, taking a different view of the subject, it refused to endorse his opinion. The Conference thoroughly understood that he in bo way committed New Zealand to any responsibility- On tibis understanding the motion was passed. Next day, however, the Question of the New Zealand cable subsidy waft revived, one of the members, no doubt at the , instina tion of the Company, intimating ' thafe he intended to bring forward -• a resolution to the effect that until the agreement as to the general subsidy, ns above embodied, was carried into effect the Conference deemed it richt and just that New Zealand should continue to pay the former rate of faubsidy to the Eastern Extension Company. This would practically have been a vote of censure on New Zealand for its refusal to pay, and had such a resolution been recorded Hi is colony would have got into bad odour with its neighbours it it lyid continued to refuse to pay. , The motion was not formally made, and Sir W. Fitzherbert succeeded in showing such excellent reasons against the course it proposed— its spirit being, he pointed out, entirely opposed to the piinciple of the main resolution which the Confei^ ence had adopted — that the intending mover tore up the motion, and it was not even put upon the minutes, Thus ended an attempt to use the influence of the Conference to force New Zealand into continuing the subsidy in dispute. Sir William was thus perfectly successful in defeating the attempt of the Company to 'put on the rcrew ' through the Conference, which was tho main purpose of his mission."

A professor, iv explaining to a class of young ladies* the fchcoiy acequling to wliich the body is entirely 'renewed overy' seven yeais, said, " Thnr, Mi^B., in sevun years yoii will be 'in rnilijy rto longer 2-lha B." "f really" hope' I VhnnV derauroiy re6po,nrl6cl bhajflr], rnfetin;; down her eyes. "Very V/ell," !shc replied, "1 shall sue you for breacli of pi'omi- c. " " Bud I never gave me to niKrct-.-Land (Ikis you v/ould."' " \Vhen was llifiM" '/'You icjneinijor la^l summ'or you a^Re'd iriV/if T ould cook', and I replied, ' Yos.' If thai- v/ivfoi'.l^proiwsiog,', I don't Jtoiovr wlmb'else il could be. M '', / ■