THE PACIFIC CABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13744, 8 May 1908, Page 4

THE PACIFIC CABLE.

It has been stated in the Imperial Parliament that the estimated loss on the Pacific cable for the current year was £69,000. The Under-Sec-retary of State for the Colonies asserted that this very considerable annual loss is " being reduced in a satisfactory manner," but such an opinion will hardly be endorsed by colonial users of the service, or by the New Zealand Postmaster-Gene-ral. For Sir Joseph Ward has not been backward in pointing out that the cable could be made to pay expense's if it were kept fully employed by a sufficient reduction of rates ; so that, as things stand, the public has, not only had to pay unduly heavy

cable charges but has to provide the funds to meet the consequent deficit. Few people would object to the payment of what is practically a cablesubsidy if thereby a cheap service were obtained, but it appears absurd to pay the subsidy for the mere purpose of maintaining excessive charges. We recently suggested to Sir Joseph. Ward that he should exert his Influence in a direction he openly advises, the-cheapening of cable communication with the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. At the present time there is nobody with authority and standing who is devoting any great attention to this most important problem. Yet the burdensome character of existing cable charges are notorious and are keenly felt everywhere. Instead of an attempt to reduce, rates we are threatened at the International Telegraph Conference with an attempt to limit the coding to which commerce has been driven, and to limit is practically to increase rates. At least, the public might expect reasonable treatment from the Pacific Cable Board, and as the cable might pay expenses at a rate to London of. one shilling per word, it is utterly unreasonable that nearly , .070,000 should have to be publicly provided in order that a rate of three shillings may be maintained.