THE PACIFIC CABLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1922, Page 5

THE PACIFIC CABLE.

THE PROPOSED DUPLICATION. A DIFFERENT ROUTE. By Telegraph.—Press Aasn. —Copyright. Received May 14, 11.5-p.m. Victoria (8.C.), May 13. Mr. John Mil ward (manager of the Pacific Cable Board) arrived by the Niagara from Suva, via Fanning Island, enroute to London, to report to the board regarding the route for the duplicate Pacific cable. It is understood it will be different to the present route, but further information is not available. —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. COST ABOUT TWO MILLIONS. A DECISION NEXT MONTH. Suva (Fiji), April 27. Mr. John Milward, manager for the Pacific Cable Board, is in Suva on ?ds way to London to meet the board In June. The meeting is an important one, as it has to consider the question of duplicating the Pacific cable and decide the matter.

The duplication is considered necessary, not only to secure continuity of the* connection between the overseas Dominions and England, but to give a greater carrying capacity. It was shown conclusively during the war that the cable was not equal to fulfilling the demands made upon it. The cable has been singularly free from interruption, but the margin of safety must necessarily decrease as time goes on, and a break in one of the long sections would be very grave if it coincided with an interruption on the other routes that are available.

Mr. Milward, when said he considers the duplication will cost not less than £2,000,000, as compared with the £1,750,000, which the present cable cost 19 years ago. The work of i duplication would take from 18 months [ to two years, but the first section—Fiji [to Auckland-—should be laid within a year. This will not land at Norfolk Island, as at present, but will go direct. A new cable connection will also be made between Southport (Queensland) and Sydney. This will then give two alternative routes from Svdney to FijiOne will be as at present, Sydney, Auckland, Norfolk (optional), and Suva; the other route will be Sydney, Southport, Norfolk, Suva. With the aid of automatic machines the messages will go through in one operation. Over 7,700,000 paying words of international traffic were sent across Lite Pacific cable during lhe past year, and to this must be added 2,600,000 words that passed between New Zealand and Australia and the Pacific Islands. A large new concrete building is to be at once erected in Suva, larger than the present offices, and also several dwellings -for married members of the staff.