THE PACIFIC CABLE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 9

THE PACIFIC CABLE.

A PARLIAMENTARY RETURN. New Zealand's proportion of tho loss on the working of the eablo for the year ended 31st March last is estimated at £6300. \The previous year it amounted to £8061. For last year the traffic revenue amounted to £102,250, the wording expenses wero £60,837, and annuity and renewals cost £110,545, leaving an estimated total deficit of £69,132. U'li--ing the past four years, reports tho Postmaster-General, the business of the Pacific cable has steadily increased. Of the- ordinary paid business the Pacific obtained in 1903, 82 per cent; in 1904, 86 per cent ; in 1905, 87 per cent ; and in 1906, 89 per cent. ; the Eastern Com■pany's share being 18, 14, 13, and 11 per cent, during the same years. Rsceixb checks chow that tho average best time in which me£sages are handled on the Pacific route are — from London, 1 hour 15 minutes ; from America, 12 minutes ; from Sydney, 8 minutes ; from Melbourne, 15 minutes. Tho figures show, adds tha Premier, that not only has New Zealand given tho Pacific cable support, beyond tho most fa-vourablo estimates of international business, but it has_also given that route 89 per cent, of tho ordinary business to Australia. Some 'idea of tho actual voln:ne oi busines.s done by cable gene-rally may be gathered from thefact that during the year ended 31st December, 1906, 1815 mssages, containing 186,128 woids, costing £1290, were December. 1906, 1815 messages, containing 334.337 words, costing £2163, were received.