CABLE AND POSTAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 322, 8 October 1908, Page 7

CABLE AND POSTAL.

QUESTION OF RATES. SIXPENNY WIRES AND PENNY POST. A SCEPTICAL OFFICIAL. (BT TELIOUiPH—rEESa ASSOUIATICN —OOPTRICET.) Melbourne, October 7. Mr. HesHoth, electrical engineer to tho Federal Post Office, continuing his evidence before tho Postal Commission, w'as not prepared to say that the Eastern Extension Company's cable rates wero too high. Tho Pacific cable, which charged tho same rates, did not pay. He understood that the' Eastern Extension Company had special arrangements as to press messages between Australia and London. Ho was not prepared to say it was bad policy on tho part of tho Government to allow tho Eastern Company to have a monopoly of press cablo business. Referring to the Commonwealth telegraphic business, Mr. Hesketh said it should be made to pay : . It was unsound policy, to charge ninepence for a telegram which cost tenpence to send. Ho did not know that tho New Zealand Department showed a profit of one hundred thousand pounds last year on tho basis of penny postago and sixpenny telegrams. Perhaps that result had been achieved without providing for payment of interest on capital. Melbourne, October 6. Mr. Hesketh, electrical engineer to the Federal Post Office, in his evidence before the Postal Commission, stated that £2,100,000 would be required to place 1 telegraphs and telephones on a proper footing.