NEW PACIFIC CABLE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 146, 29 September 1910, Page 5

NEW PACIFIC CABLE

■THE QUALITY OP CABLE NEWS. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Niglit. In the House of Representatives this evening Sir Joseph Ward, in accordance with notice given on Tuesday, moved that the House approve of Mao Pacific Cable Board constructing and laying a cable to be used in the transmission of mtesaitrrs between New Zealand and Australia in place, if required, of the portion of the Pacific cable now used for that purpose. Hie new cable is to be directly between Doubtless Bay and some point in Australia without touching an intermediate point. The cable was urgently required if the Pacific Board were to increase or even retain its business. There had been a considerable falling-off in traffic during the present year, due chiefly to delays. A saving would be effected iby cutting out Southport and the Norfolk Island staff. All intercolonial (traffic for Australia sent via the Pacific would go direct to Doubtless Bay from 'Sydney. The cost of laying the'proposed.cable was estimated not to exceed £155,000. The estimated saving in cost would be £6OOO a year, and there would be a considerable increase in traffic. The amount of the Dominion's annual contribution was a large one, but ft was comparatively small when the immense saving was taken into consideration. Wihen the proposal cable was laid there would be two lines to Australia. This would ensure that there would always be one line open for traffic. Mr. Massev saw no objection to the proposal, seeing that it would not cost the Dominion anything directly. He was inclined to think, (however, it would ultimately do so. He was surprised, in view of the recent developments in wireless telegraphy, that proposals for a new cable should ibe made. He asked if anything would be done to carry out the recommendations of the recent conference in Australia on wireless telegraphy, which was .attended by representatives from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and the Admiralty. Mr. Fisher asked if the Government would take steps to ensure accurate and reliable lmonr.ation regarding the world's news being distributed to t'lio Dominion papers. He considered the ouality of the news at present provided was not satisfactory. In replying, Sir Joseph Ward said Australia and New Zealand had become part proprietors of the Pacific cable and could not therefore give effect to the recommendations of the wireless conference. Replying to Mr. Taylor, wfho had urged cheaper cable rates, Sir Joseph Ward said the present Pacific cable could not carry a.penny rate, but a sixpence-a-word .rate for domestic cables was possible of accomplishment. Regarding wireless telegraphy, ihe believed this should be a coadjutor of the cable sytem. He did not think wireless would take the place of cable communication owing to the difficulty of ensuring secrecy. No doubt a monopoly had grown rn in Australia resulting in a number of papers being unable to get cable news. In New Zealand a similar position existed. It was almost impossible for papers to have done otherwise. Wihat personally he considered unsatisfactory was that the cable news sent out was more Australian than New Zealand. He considered that the Dominion should haye an independent cable service of its own. He' "jelieved that the existing Press Assocfct' >u would of its own accord change its ir.ahods.and that cable messages 'would 1 a available to all papers desiring them. In regard to quality of cable newish" nn'ognised that papers had to catw for their readers. - The motion was then carried.