CABLE CHARGES.

Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 109, 1 June 1885, Page 2

CABLE CHARGES.

It is pleasing to find the Canterbury borofCommercedireotingattentiontothepresent unduly high rates oharged for messages on the cable between Australia and New Zealand. The other Chambers of Commeroe throughout the colony will no doubt support the movement, and the attention of Parliament should be directed to it as early as possible in the approaching session. The Cable Company possesses a very valuable monopoly, and seems inolined to press it to the utmost. It is of course not to be wondered at that this should be the case, considering the example set by the New Zealand Telegraph Department, in the way it presses its monopoly in regard to the telephone service, but even tthjsre some concession has had to be made. The present oable rates between tbiß and the neighbouring colonies are altogether too high; they are almost prohibitive. An immense increase of business wonld follow a substantial reduotion in the rates. We do not know exactly what power onr Government possesses in the matter, bnt, if we are not mistaken, it will very shortly be in a position to exeroise very considerable pressure upon the oompany with & view to future arrangements. The present rated also make no distinction between Press and general buninee.' messages. On almost all other cable or telegraph Ime3 in the world, such a distinction is made, and messages intended for puMw information aro transmitted at a substiLitial reduction upon ordinary business rates. In any new arrangement with the company, this point should be insisted on. The Press of New Zealand pay at present an enormous amount of monoy in cable charges from Australia. The messages which come out from England to Australia at a rednoed rate, are oharged the full scale from Australia here. If tho rates were reducsd the Press of the colony would not expend less money, but the publio would get a great deal more news in return for the expenditure. At present very little general Australian news is cabled here, and Btill less New Zealand news to Australia. This colony really suffers doubly therefore. New Zealand people visiting Melbourne or Sydney almost invariably oomplain of the pancity of information given in the oolumns of the Press there regarding the daily doings in this colony. New Zeapud affairs are not brought under the notio

of Australian readers half aa prominently as they should be, nor are New Zealand readers kept up to the progress of events in Australia by any means as fully as ia desirable. The high cable rates stand in the way. If reasonable Press rates were established we should learn a great deal more about our neighbours, and they about ua. This is really an important matter, and affecting the publio even more than it does the Press. With regard to European news also, a reduotion of cable charges from Australia would enable the New Zealand Press to obtain fuller and more varied information from day to day. We hope that the agitation now commenced in Christchuroh for a revision of the cable tariff, will be successful, and that special Press rates will be amongst the concessions obtained.