PRESS CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3210, 9 June 1909, Page 5

PRESS CONFERENCE.

CHEAPER CABLE RATES. A PARAMOUNT NECESSITY. United Press Association—By Electric Telegrap Copyright. Received June 8, 8.45 a.m. LONDON, June 7. The Earl of Crewe, Secretary of State for the Colonies, presided at the first meeting of the Imperial Press Conference, at which the subjects of cable news and press intercommunication were considered. The president remarked that very cheap communications lay behind all prescriptions for bringing the vari ous parts of the Empire closer. The Right Hon. Sydney Buxton, Postmaster-General, remarked, that the subject was largely a matter of finance. He promised that the Post : Office would assist in securing the objects of the conference. Other speakers were Mr KiffinThomas (South Australia), Hon. T. Pink (Melbourne), Mr G. Fenwick (Dunedin) and Mr T. Temperley (Bathurst). The conference resolved that the cheapening and improvement of | rates was a paramount necessity, and a committee was appointed to consider the best means of carrying out this object. Received June 8, 10.5 p.m. LONDON, June 8. Lord Minto sent India's greetings to the Conference. The casual mention of Mr Joseph Chamberlain'd name provoked loud i cheers. I Lord Crewe quoted figure?, to show j the great number of words cabled regarding cricket as compared with \ the general news. Possibly wireless telegraphy and the use of the cables when otherwise unoccupied would provide a partial remedy for the inadequate treatment of subjects of 1 greater importance. Mr Kiffin Thomas, of Adelaide, said that there would be great de- j light in the Commonwealth if the j next Conference were held in Australia. Cheaper cable rates would enable the. colonies to secure much j fuller reports of the doings of I Home folk. I Mr Austen Chamberlain said he j hoped the Conference would not : forget the pioneer work of the ; cable companies, and treat them generously, but the companies must make up their minds that times were changing, and fresh needs arising.

Received June 8, 10.20 p.m. LONDON, June 8. Mr Temperley (New South Wales) advocated an All Red route, and the nationalisation of the Pacific cable. Mr Feiiwick (Dunedin) said that the Conference would be humiliated if the resolution already cabled was not adopted. x " The Postmaster-General said that business men were reducing :oding to a fine art. This was impossible with press news. Therefore they had a right to special rates being granted in order to place newspapers on an equality with business men. Mr Buxton added that he anticipated that the Conference had consulted the cable companies who, he understood, were willing to consider a reduction in the rates if they we-e assured of considerable additional matter being cabled. The amotin; spent in press telegrams at present was small as compared with the tota! expenditure.