AUSTRALIAN PRESS CABLES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9653, 18 November 1909, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN PRESS CABLES.

THE SENATE! ENQUIRY. COUNTRY PAPERS AND THE ASSOCIATION. Received November 17, 10. 50 a.m. MELBORUNE, November 17 At a sitting of the Senate Committee of Enquiry into the subject of press cable messages, Mr Mahon, a member of the House of Representatives, and at one time owner of the "Menzies Miner," a West Australian paper, denied a statement by Senator Best implying that he pirated cables. He received a selection in return for supplying West Australian papers with local news. The Cable Association fixed the contribution at £l5O a year for a little town like Menzie3, while Beiidigo paid only £2OO.

The Cable Association was, the witness asserted, the worst manopoly in Anstralh. At present other newspapers had no chance to combine, as no two agreements terminated on the same date.

Mr Reay, manager of the "Melbourne Herald," declined to statt what he paid for the service If another evening paper in Melbourne got the same service, his advice would be to terminate the agreement and get an independent service. Senator Dobscn said the "Argus" ;>nd t\{e "Age" £re spparate concerns. >et they take the name service.

Witness slid that was their policy, but he did not agree with it.