CHEAPER PRESS CABLEGRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1921, Page 4

CHEAPER PRESS CABLEGRAMS.

In the memorandum presented by the Empire Press Union to the Premiers’ Conference on the subject of the rates charged for Frees cablegrams, it is laid down that “so long as the cost of transmission remains a serious consideration to newspaper proprietors information from overseas must remain spasmodic and fail to secure the interest of readers, upon which depends the service and influence of the Press.” There is, of course, much truth in tilts contention, though it is quite likely newspaper readers do not fully realise the heavy cost to the proprietors of this “spasmodic” and unsatisfactory service, nor their anxiety to present to their readers the best summary of the news of the world, quite irrespective of the cost involved. From the Dominions’ point of view there are tw.o main factors which, in the past, have militated against the interchange of Empire and foreign news, one being the almost prohibitive cost, and the other being the need on the part of the senders for a better and clearer conception of news value—that is, the discrimination between what is of sufficient importance to transmit by cable and can well wait for the mail service. From a British aspect the question is whether the Press of the Motherland will be prepared to welcome a larger supply of news from the Dominions than heretofore. If so, it can be supplied. What is needed is expert organisation, and that should present no difficulty. On the whole the Dominions are fairly well supplied with news from the Homeland, but it is a constant source of dissatisfaction to viytors from the Dominion to Britain that they can llnd little, if any, news concerning their own country in the columns of the British Press. The same remarks apply to in-ter-Dominion news, and there can be no doubt that the high cost of transmission is at the root of the deficiency. At the same time it has to be admitted there is much room for improvement not only in regard to rapidity of transmission, but in the elimination of unimportant messages both by cable and by inland telegraph. Matters of outstanding 'importance have received due attention, but there are other items of interest that are passed over, though well worthy of transmission. If, however, cheaper cablegrams will lead to a flood of mere trifles or society sensations being sent by cable, it would be a further infliction on the already harassed newspaper proprietors. The problem presents many difficulties which can only be overcome by a practical scheme

that involves a reduction of the present high I‘ates and ensures a reliable and well selected news service, not only between the Dominions and Britain, but also between the Dominions themselves. As the service is of national importance he various Governments may properly be' expected to contribute a reasonable subsidy, while' the British Press might lead the way in catering -for visitors from oversees in a manner that would enable them to keep abreast of the Dominion’s affairs.