THE REDUCED CABLE RATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8959, 17 August 1892, Page 5

THE REDUCED CABLE RATES.

THE CHEAPEST SERVICE IN THE WORLD. [BY TKLKOUAPK.—PRKSSi ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Tuesday. The Postmaster-General states that he has always regarded the cable rates between Europe and Australia and New Zealand as excessive, and with the object of having them reduced he bad approached th» Cable Company and Australian Governments. He had proposed that the European rate with New Zealand should be reduced from 10s 2d per word to 4s od, and the rate with Sydney from 9a 6d for ten words to 2s; each additional word sd. Both Cable Company and the Australian Governments decline the reduction in rate for associated press work (3d per word), but agree that any individual newspaper should be allowed to receive intercolonial cable messages at one penny per word, with the distinct understanding that the messages are for the sole use of the papers receiving them. Mr. Ward is strongly of opinion that the general reduction in press messages is not far distant, and he is favourable to a very low rate. The penny rate, he points out, will be of advantage to newspapers desiring to obtain special reports of any particular incident occurring in Australia. At the time the proposed reductions were first \ considered, he had approached the colonial merchants with a view of securing froni them "a guarantee of £5000 towards the annual loss. Replies had been received from . several important centres. The . Christchurch merchants had wired that they were willing to guarantee £1000 a year. Auckland, Dunedin, Invercargill, had expressed their willingness to contribute a fair proportion. Some of the leading men in other parts had replied favourably, while the Wellington merchants were to meet to-day, to discuss the proposals. It was not, he thought, fair that taxpayers should have to guarantee the whole amount, and had it not been for the merchants' guarantee, the reduction in rates would be impossible. At the Postal Conference in Melbourne yesterday proposals were considered, and with but one alteration accepted. The Australians had increased their European rates to 4s 9d from 4», and this had raised the proposed rate to New Zealand to 5s 3d, but as he proposed to reduce the land rate from 2d to Id, the rate would be 5s 2d per word. He also proposed that the land rate on colonial cables be reduced from 6d to 3d, and if New South Wales could be persuaded to act similarly, messages between the colonies could be transmitted at the rate of 2s 6d for 10 words. In order to give proper notice, reductions not to come into force until the middle of September or the Ist of October.

Ib is estimated that the loss to the revenue by the reduction is between £32,000 and £33,000 per annum, but the increased traffic will largely reduce this, and ib is not anticipated that the Government loss will be heavy, nor that the merchants' guarantee of £5000 is likely to be required to the full extent. Mr. Ward refers, with great satisfaction, to the fact that the reduced rates are the cheapest cable service in the world.

Invekcaroill, Tuesday. The Invercargill Chamber of Commerce, at a special meeting re cable rates, passed a resolution that the Chamber heartily approves of the proposals of the PostmasterGeneral as to the reduction in cable charges, and whilst unable to accept responsibility as a Chamber, strongly recommends the pro posal to the favourable consideration of the merchants of Invercargill.

Melbourne, August 16. The extra 9d per word which ib in proposed to charge on European cable messages is expected to realise the sum of £37,000 per annum.