THE CABLE RATES.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 234, 5 October 1886, Page 4

THE CABLE RATES.

The Press Association has received the following from the Superintendant of the Cable Company : "The Postmaster-General of Victoria telegraphed on Wednesday 1 to tho Postmaster-General of. New South Wales suggesfug the desirability of' coming to terms with the Company opon »; reasonable basis Mr Derham further suggested that all the colonies should be invited to contribute to the Port Da. win, Nbw Zealand and Tasmania cable in proportion to population.' Iv tho afternoon Mr Derham received a reply from Mr Suttar to the effect' that he had commun:cated with the New Zealand Government and the representative of the Eastern Extension Tele-' graph Company on the subject, and hopes to be able to prevent increased tariff being charged. Mr Dedham subsequently telegraphed to the Superintendert of the Company, and requested him, in view of the negotiations opened up, to arrapgi to postpone the raising of the tariff fbra month. The Superintendent immediately reported that ho cabled the request to Ml Pender. The action of the Now £ea)aa(j Government in refusing to continue its subsidy to the company, is not viewed with favour by Victoria, New South Wales, South Austra'iu, and Tasmania, each of which contribut )s to the Port Darwin and Tasmarian cables. New Zealand does not contribute one penny toward! cither of these cables, notwithstanding the fact that she derives i» large amount of benefit from j services. Should the N.Z. Gotoa, ment refuse to pay the subsidy, the qua, 1 ion arises as to whether the charge?l (| 1 messages received by the Port Darwin aid Tasuanian cables for New Sealand ehonltl not be raised. ■ !i> Tho Noa- 7iealand Postmaßter-Gentta) intends to communicate with t(ie Atlstrfc Han Governments, and ask them to inak& a reduction in the amounts levied'flj cable messages passing through t(ißsf dominions to a uniform charge of Od forth) first ten words, and -hd a word after.' Thin would mean a gain of Is per first ten wordf, and lid a word afterwards as compared with present rates. If the Governiaenta do not consent, they will be asked to fix the above rates for press messages which at present are charged > the same as ordinary messages. SirJnliiu is also favou'-able to reducing the New Zealand rates of messages to London to Id a word, and abolishing extra charge now ! imposed after 8. pm.