CABLE RATES REDUCED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 64, 16 March 1915, Page 3

CABLE RATES REDUCED.

DROP OF FOURPEXOE A WORD. IWELiLrNGTOX. Monday. It is now announced that from April I j the rate for ordinary cable messages to the United Kingdom, via the Pacific route, will be reduced from 3/ to 2/8 per [word. The rate for deferred messages Will be reduced from 1/6 to 1/4 per word, whilst that for -week-end messages will be reduced from 15/, as th e minimum for 20 .words, with 9d. for each additional word, to 13/4 and Bd. respectively. It has taken the Postmaster-General, the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, much time and negotiation to secure this concession, his argument being founded on difference between th c Australian terminal rate (3d) and Xew Zealand terminal rate (Id.). The negotiations were conducted with j the 'Pacific Cable Board as being more immediately concenpd with the New | Zealand traffic- fronFand to London, alI though he states he has no reason to suppose that the concession once made would not-be accepted by the Eaeterri" 'Extension Company, The .business relations of that company .are more particu* larly with the Commonwealth Govern- ■ ment, and up to a few days ago no information had been received about any proposals of the company to make a corresponding reduction in respect of th c New Zealand traffic, the Commonwealth Government having given- no indication that it intended to fall in with the arrangement. The Postmaster-Gen-eral received information a day or two ago, however, that the. traffic via East-ern-would carry the same reduction* of rates. . ■