STATE-OWNED CABLES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 146, 5 June 1913, Page 5

STATE-OWNED CABLES.

BRITAIN AWAITS AUSTRALIA'S REPL V. [cress association —-cortright.] London, .luiii’ 1. The Hou. Lewis Harcourt. Sec re tary lo the Colonies, replying to Major Archer Shte .dre'ared that hidid not propose to publish the cm respondence relating to the suggest ed subsidiary conference concerning a State owned Atlantic cable until the Commonwealth reply to tin dispatch of 7th February was re ceived. NATIONALISE THEM ALL. SIR HENNIKER HEATON S POLICY. Fremantle, .him 1. Sir Henniker Heaton is on a health trip. He is confident that in time the ruling cable rate of th<’ world will be twelve words for shilling. He desir.-s the Govern mints of Australia and New Zealand to co-operate with him tu that end. and trusts they will not make this ,-i party question. “The main diffi culty,” he says, “is the mountain of vested interests, cable kings ami rings, who have seized the God given gift of electricity and devoted it to the sole use of millionaires hi the exclusion <;i’ ihe millions. Three hundred million words can be teleg raphed to America annually, and only twenty millions arc transmit ted. The rings keep the cables idle in order to maintain the shilling a word rate. The lines to Australia are quite capable of fifty million words yearly, and only five million are sent. 1 would nationalise the cables, giving the companies a fair price.