CHEAP CABLES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3069, 14 December 1908, Page 5

CHEAP CABLES.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press A.ssoci:ition-By Electric Telegraph Copyright.

INFLUENTIAL MEETING IN LONDON.

VIEWS OF LEADING PUBLIC MEN. STATE OWNED LINES DISCUSSED. STRONG FEELIN(! IN FAVOUR. Received December 13, 4.15 p.m. LONDON, December 12. The Lord Mayor presided at an influential meeting to-day, the speakers including the Duke of Argyll, Lord Miltier, Ho;i. R. Lemieux, Postmaster-General of Canada, Captian Collins, and Lord Jersey. Sir Albert Spicer, M.P., President of the London Chamber of Commerce, said a low-priced, easy and uniform means of tebsraphic connection with the Empire was recommended, and the Government should be asked to convene a Conference of the Postal authorities of the States and dependencies of the Empire to promote a wide recognition of the policy of State owned an d controlled cables. Sir E. A. Sassoon said that Mr Henniker Heaton's scheme was the [ goal of the future, and at present only a pious aspiration. He advocated State owned and controlled cables, and thought that by linking up with the Pacific an eighteenpence a word rate was feasible with a shilling for deferred messages. Lord Curzon wrote that cheap cables would be an immense incentive to thst Imperial feeling without which the Empire could not permanently exist. The cables ought to be administered in the interests of the entire community. Existing connections and methods would, he thought, be hopelessly obsolete before a quarter of a^century. The Hon. R. Lemieux advocated that a State-owned Atlantic cable was the logical sequence of a Pacific one, and the result would be an immediate reduction of the rates between Canada and England of 50 per cent., and eventually alO cent, rate, and also insure reductions between Australia and New Zealand, besides being the harbinger of a panBrltannic syetfchli

Capfc. GqIHJIi I , representative of AUM.l'aiia, said the Commonwealth favoured cheapening wherever practicable on a commercial basis. Australia would co-operate in a Stateowned Atlantic line, and ing of the Canadian land lines uider State control.

The Duke o f . Argyll advocated cheap cables after business hours. Lord Milner said it was worth while for the State to lore some monay to secure a substp.nt.al recluc' tion.

Sir Albert Spicer said he recognised that existing private rights must not oe regarded, but nevertheless the time had arrived when cables ought to be owned and controlled by the Governments, and run in the best interests of all.

Lord Jersey emphasised the necessity of recognising what the cibla companies had done for the Empire.

, Sir J. Neilson argued that it was unlikely that the Governments could work the cables more cheaply than could be done by private enterprise, arid declared it would be cheaper to increase oid age pensions to 7s 6d a week than to intr>duce penny telegrams for all distances. The Hon. Wi S. Feilding, Canadian Treasurer, said he would never advocate rash, r :ckless expenditure; but everyone desired a better and cheaper communication.