PRESS CABLE INQUIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 246, 23 November 1909, Page 2

PRESS CABLE INQUIRY.

FURTHER EVIDENCE. By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyrigit Received 22, 11.15 p.m. Sydney, November 22. Before the Cable Committee the secretary of the Country Press Association said that Canada subsidised the in.K'- J pendent press service to the extent cf 15,000 dollars a year. It' the Commonwealth Government adopted a similar 1 plan here a second press cable service i could be initiated at once, as arrange- f mcnts had long since been made for J starting when financial arrangements J were complete. There would be a won- I derful gain to the public if the Commonwealth could secure a reduction of < press messages to p. penny a moid. Witness outlined a scheme for making use of the Canadian service from London and cabling it across to Australia at fivcpence a word, with a special London service of purely Australasian news. Mr. Wynne (manager of the Sydney Daily Telegraph) said that, the Tei?- , graph's share for landing cables at Ade. /laidewas £I3OO per annum. Tlier," hid to be added to thin wire charges from Adelaide and the cost of experts interpreting I lie cables, which added another .tlOllll per annuiji. lie was not in a position to say what am- other principals paid. All of tliem pal.l more than any sulwribers were asked to pay. It would remove a good inauv false impressions if the whole positio.l could . have been shown, but that was a matter about which Mr. McKinnon could give evidence. He could not. He was ' unable to say what the Zealand 1 Press Association paid. He could not ; suggest any system to get better cable ' information. There was no restriction on supplying news to other metropolis ■ tan cities. The papers could get cables ' on business terms. It had taken 30 years to work up the cable system, and it would be unreasonable for outsiders 5 to come in on the ground floor. Fe J thought a paper which helped to build up such a system should have more con--3 sideration than new rivals. Originally - the Association was formed for the s benefit of the paper* forming it and not s organised for the benefit, of competitors, f Eventually it was decided to sell cables t to prevent the disintegration of the e union. They recognised it was better

to have one good cable service than six had ones.