PRESS CABLES.

Hastings Standard, Volume XIII, Issue 4309, 12 November 1909, Page 5

PRESS CABLES.

FURTHER EVIDENCE. (Received 12. 9 40 a.m.) Melbourne. November 12. When giving evidence before the senate committee on the cable services, Mr Brook, superintendent in Victoria of the Eastern Extension Company, said the experience of his company was that businesss did not respond to the reduction of rates below a certain point. He had h2d experience in New Zealand over that. He found that cable press business to New Zealand had decreased bv over 30.000 words yearly from 1900 to 1909. Proprietors of newspapers found that l?cal news was more acceptable than cable news from abroad. THE ENQUIRY CONTINUED Melbourne, November II Giving evidence before the Senate committee on the cable services, Sir Robert Scott, Secretary of the Post Office, said he would not advise further reduction of the price of cablegrams. It would mean increased business, but would only put more money into the newspaper proprietors' pockets. If the public were to benefit by the reduction he would advise it. The Pacific Cable should have a cable across the Atlantic. He thought that the Commonwealth should identify itself more closely with the Pacific Cable. He would not suggest an alteration in the press rate on land lines. The country was losing by the present rate. The committee obtained leave to sit in Sydney, where they wished to examine at least four witnesses, as would be more economical for the committee to visit Sydne> than to bring the witnesses to Melbourne.