CABLE CHARGES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 115, 8 February 1935, Page 11

CABLE CHARGES

Plea For Cheaper Rates PRESS CONGRESS MOTION Cape Town, February 6. A strong plea for cheaper cable and wireless rates for Press purposes was made by the chairman of the Australian delegation, Mr. Delamore McCay, when the Empire Press Conference held its first technical session. Mr. McCay attacked the capital structure and present position of Imperial and International Communications. Limited. He said that it was claimed that the merger company, formed in 1929, was necessary to prevent foreign nations seeking to control communications and in order to maintain secret strategic channels, but it was grossly unfair to levy the cost on telegraph users. He urged the utilisation of the surplus capacity of the present Empire telegraph communications by the inauguration of a low deferred Press rate of a penny a word from England to Australia and between the other Dominions. Failing a scheme of this kind Australian newspapers would undoubtedly turn to air mails to supplement Press telegrams. <, The conference, after hearing .Mr. McCay’s statement, unanimously agreed to the motion he moved in favour of the appointment of a committee of the conference to proceed to London to urge a prompt review of the charges. There will bo a further and final discussion •on the proposal and also on the personnel of the committee'at the later sessions of tin 1 conference at Johannesburg.