THE QUESTION OF CABLE RATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7772, 19 October 1886, Page 5

THE QUESTION OF CABLE RATES.

DECISION OF THK GOVERNMENT. [BY TELEOBAPH-PKE3B ASSOCIATION.] Wkixi.ngton, Monday. THE remainder of the correspondence> on, tt subject of the cable rates has been publisher deluding the Government's ultimatum de, "atehed on Saturday. Some of the telegrau have already been published. On September 25 Sir Julius Vogel wire to Mr Suttor, Postmaster-General at Sydnej urging him to place press telegrams on more liberal footing with regard to th land lines of Australia. He says •- »I hope you will aid us in putting the Pre! telegrams between Australia and New Zei land on a fairer tooting. The rates betwee Adelaide and Sydney terminus for Prei messages both ways, should be Press rate, and we will make Press rates between th terminus here and all parts of NewZealanc both for messages out ana in. Ihe earn rate ought not to be the full rate, lb Government of India has insisted on all th colonies sharing the benefits of he nei arrangements, and they could not the Press being charged from Sydney^to Nej Zealand nearly half the whole cost to Eng land. A joint appeal by our two Govern menta to the Government of India womc TStnZ redress The Press are willing, i {he cable rate"' reduced to threepence . word, to guarantee equal receipts fron "ST replied that he had wired t( the company in similar terms to Sir J. \ ogel * cable, and hoped the matter might b* arranged. This gentleman afterwards wired to know whether the New Zealand Governmenthad come to any decision as to Mr. Pender's memo of September 2S, postponing the threatened alteration in rates to January. He urged Sir J. Vogel to agree to a rive years' subsidy to save inconvenience, and a possible increase of rates. Sir J. Vogel replied on Saturday, regretting Mr. Suttor's change of front since his telegrams of September 24 and 29, apparently siding with the action of 'the New Zealand Ministry. The same day Sir J. Vogel also cabled the following ultimatum to the Eastern Extension Company :— " Your telegram of the CSth September has been carefully considered by the Government. They are resolved not to give a further subsidy. You are mistaken in stating I complained about want of notice. I wished to draw your attention to the requirements of the Berne Convention. Ido not consider your notice formal unless properly made by the International Offices. 1 now give you notice that if you raise the rates we shall not give you the present accommodation, though we will give you room for an operator, and that we will impose the terminal charge. If you leave the present rates on ordinary messages unchanged, and reduce press rates to threepence, on a guarantee of the press to supply a revenue equal to the average of press payments during the last three years, we will agree to give twelve months notice before opening for use any new cable." It may be mentioned that the cable rates at present are sevenpence for every word after the first ten, and such a reduction as that proposed would enable twice the quantity of news now cabled to be published. j