THE PACIFIC CABLE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13332, 26 January 1909, Page 7

THE PACIFIC CABLE.

AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. (special to "the press.") WELLINGTON. January 25. Mr John Milward, manager in. tho I'ac-ilic for tho Paeilic Cable Board, i_ t. i.siting; Wellington _: the interest- of the liounl. \V hen seen by a "Do-ri-inioii" reporter lie said that thocaDle was still working very well indeed, and giving no trouble in any way. Against the popular idea that money is being lost annually, Mr Milward contended that tho gradual repayment of capital ought, not to be regarded as a recurring deficit. The position was that the imperial Government had advanced two millions sterling, which was being repaid at the rate of £77,00U per annum, whiio £33,000 per annum in addition was being _et a_ide for the renewal of the whole of the cable, which would be necessary at the ena of _._y years. The fact that the Governments concerned were contributing annually towards the repayment of the capital did not, Mr Milward contended, justify tho public in considering that the cable was being worked at a loss. In any case, tho money was well spent, as it had led to tho lowering of the rates. Asked whether in his opinion the j further lowering of the rates to a penny a word as proposed by Mr Henniker Heaton was practicable, Mr Milward replied, "No, certainly not, if the cables are to bo worked so as to meet ordinary expenses. The carrying capacity of a cable is limited. We can only send a thousand words an hour over the Pacific cable, and no main ocean lino ha* a much greater capacity than that. It is easy to see that at a penny a word the revenue could not exceed £30,000 a year, and our present working expenses aro twice that sum." In regard to any less sensational reduction of rates, Mr Mihvard was. not prepared to make any definite statement, but he pointed out that the matter was by no moan* all in the hands of hie Board, because all messages between Australasia and Britain via the Pacific cable had to cross Canada and the Atlantic on privatelvowned lines. Rather less than half the rates went to the Pacific Cable Board. Mr Mihvard looks, with favour on the proposal to link up the islands of the Pacific by wireless telegraphy. Such a scheme would provide tlie Pacific cable with feeders from localities where submarine cables would not at present be profitable. At the same time, he considered that wireless telegraphy was not in its present stage of development sufficiently reliable for commercial work over long distances, though it was distinctly useful in its sphere.