DIRECT SYDNEY CABLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16138, 15 January 1913, Page 10

DIRECT SYDNEY CABLE.

COMPLETION OF THE WORK AT AUCKLAND. A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP, THE MOTHERLAND AND THE DOMINIONS. [Feu Press Association.] AUCKLAND, January 14. Tho completion of the laying of the direct Sydney to Auckland cable was commemorated to-day, when a number of leading citizens assembled at luncheon at tho invitation of the Pacific Cable Board. Mr John Milward, Australasian manager, presided, and those present included tho Post-master-General (flie Hon R. H. Rhodes), the Mayor of Auckland (Mr C. J. Parr) and others In proposing the toast of " Tho Post and Telegraph Department," coupled with the name of tho Hon R. 11. Rhodes, the chairman said that nowhere in tho world did the population enjoy greater benefits in the way of postal and telegraphic facilities than in New Zealand. Tho dominion, in his opinion, possessed the cheapest and best, telegraph service in the world. Mr Rhodes, in reply, said that he realised the truth of what Mr Milward had said,' and readily admitted that all credit there was had to bo laid at the feet of his predecessors, and mostly to Sir Joseph Ward. Tho Minister paid a tribute to tho very fine work dono by the Department and its staff in New Zealand.

In proposing the toast of " The Pacific Cable Board," the PostmasterGeneral said that he had to admit that it was only since taking office that he had taken a stimulated interest in cable matters. They knew that the entry of tho Pacific Cable Board into the cable business had been welcomed, as breaking up an existing monopoly. Speaking of the cable work of tho future, the Minister said the task would bo to lay an independent cable across tho Atlantic. That would be the final link in a State-owned cable. Tho Hon C. E. Frazer (PostmasterGeneral of tho Commonwealth) was to meet him in Wellington shortly, to further discuss this question. Canada, of course, was every bit as much interested, and ho hoped that ere long something definite would be dono in regard to an Atlantic cable. Then there was the problem of wireless development, and as long-distance trials succeeded, there would bo an increasing possibility of making greater use of the wireless system. The Minister concluded with a complimentary reference to the part Sir Joseph Ward and Sir Sandford Fleming had played in securing the P.veific cable, and he offered his hearty congratulations to the Pacific Board on the completion of tho direct cable to Sydnev. Mr Milward, in responding, said ho would like to draw attention to the fact that the laying of the Pacific cable was undertaken Dy tho unique partnership of the Imperial, New Zealand, Australian and Canadian Governments. Ii represented what might claim to bo the earliest attempt to embody in concrete form the principle of co-operation between the Mother Country and the dominions in regard to practical matters of common Imperial interest. The original capital of £2,000,000 was advanced by the Imperial Treasury, and was being repaid from revenue earned by the cable in fifty yearly instalments of £77,000. In addition, the revenue was expected to provide £33,000 per annum towards the general fund, besides paying all working expenses. This meant that within fifty years the original capital, with interest, would have been repaid, and a sum necessary to lay a second cable throughout would have been accumulated.

Mr Milward dealt briefly with the three principal aims of the cable. The. first was to provide an alternative route between the Motherland and the more outlying parts of the British Empire in times of national danger; the .second was to bind more closely together those parts of the Empire that up to that time had had no direct telegraphic communication, especially in reference to Canada and Australasia; and the third object was to give commercial communities of the Empire the advantage of some competition in the cable business. The new cable between Sydney and Auckland, besides providing a very much quicker and more reliable service between Australia and New Zealand generally, and duplicating the connection would, it was hoped, reduce working expenses by cutting out one or two transmissions. In response to the toast of "The Guests," Mr AY. A. Beddoe, Canadian Trado Commissioner, said he felt .proud on this occasion to represent the Canadian Government, because they owed it primarily to the far-seeing imperialism of Canada that the Pacific cable was completed. Sir Sandford Fleming made the first overtures to the Canadian Government in 1879, when he submitted to them a scheme for spanning the Pacific by cable, which, in connection with tho overland telegraph of the Canadian Pacific Railway (of which he was chief engineer), would complete the electric girdle of the globe, and bring Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India into an unbroken touch without pasting over foreign territory. Sir Sandford Fleming was still hale and hearty in his eighty-fifth year ; and had lived to see his dream realised. Mr Beddoe added that ho ha.d just sent away the following cable to his Government at Ottawa :—" Have participated in the function opening the direct Pacific cable Auckland to Sydney. Another strand in the Imperial bond." Referring to tho commercial aspect, Mr Beddoe said the Pacific cable had played a very important part in bringing the Canadian market within reach l of "New Zealand produce. The distance was too great to enable business in perishable products to bo arranged by mail, and without a cable the trade could never have developed to its present magnitude between the two countries. (Applause.)