EMPIRE COMMUNICATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 19918, 14 July 1928, Page 4

EMPIRE COMMUNICATIONS

CABLES AND WIRELESS THE PROPOSED MERGER. Pr«a» Association—By Tclograph—CopyrigSii LONDON, July 13. Mr lan Macplierson (Liberal), in reforring to the Imperial Cables and Wireless Conference, asked if tke proposed new Communications Company would be on State or private ownership lines. This was of the utmost importance, and he also desired to know whether the Post Office advocated that it should be a State or a private company. He welcomed the suggestion in the Press forecast of the report that a proportion of the profits was being reserved for a reduction of the rates. The Post Office should be run on those lines, but the Exchequer had always been ready to seize surpluses. Mr Macplierson complained that,, despite the great postal surplus, revision to the penny post was no nearer. Commander Burnoy (Conservative) called attention to the possibilities of tho air mail service, stating that tho Postmaster-General % should get into touch with the Governments of India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and ask them to come to a definite conclusion concerning how they proposed to handle the whole question of transocean air mails. The Minister's reply did not refer to tho Cables and Wireless Conference. He said that the Post Office was anxious to encourago the air mail, and 100,0001 b weight of letters and parcels had been despatched abroad in that manner last year. Practically speaking, the whole Empire was covered by the air mail service, with railway connections. The Post Office was anticipating the keenest interest in the airship development which was promised in the autumn.— Australian Press Association.