PRESS CABLEGRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 667, 18 November 1909, Page 7

PRESS CABLEGRAMS.

ALLEGED MONOPOLY.; , (By Telegraph—Press AnsociatSbn— CopyrishU Melbourne, Novombor 17. At a sitting of the Senate Select Committee appointed to inquire into tho subject of press cable messages, Mr. H. Mahon (who was a member of. both tho Commonwealth Labour 1 Ministries, and at one time ownor of the Menzies "Minor," a West Australian paper) denied a statement by Senator Sir Robert Best (Minister, for Customs) implying that ho pirated cables. Mr. Mahon stated that ho received a solec- ! tion of cablegrams in return for supplying i West Australian papers with local news. The Cable Association fixed the newspaper contribu- ■ tion at J3150 a year for a littlo town like Henries, while Bondigo paid only .£2OO. The Cable Association was, the witness asserted, the worst monopoly in Australia. At' prosent other nowspapers had no chance to combine, as no two agreements terminated on the cam o date. Mr. Roay, manager of, tho Melbourne "Herald," declined to state what he paid for , tho cable service. If another evening paper in Melbourne got the \ samo'service, his advice would bo to terminate the arrangefnont and get an independent service. Senator Dobson; Tho "Argus" and tho "Ago" are' separate concerns, yet they tako tho samo sorvico. Witness said that, was their policy, but he did not agree with it. ■ REDUCED RATES FOR PRESS AND PUBLIC Londonj November 16. Mr. Kyffin' Thomas, of Adelaide, who was one of tho delegates at tho Imperial' Press Conforonco, in an intorviow with a representative of "Tho Times," on tho eve of his departure from London, said that ho hoped that tho roduotion in press cablo, charges would be followed by a genoral reduction of rates to tho public. ■ Mr. Thomas said ho believed tho Empiro Press Union which had lately boon formed would receive tho support of the Australasian press. U'lmn Kmrinn 1.-l. 1 i.< — -