THE PACIFIC CABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15201, 15 January 1913, Page 6

THE PACIFIC CABLE.

The laying of a direct cable between Auckland and Sydney was commemorated yesterday at the Town Hall, where congratulatory and hopeful expressions were the order of the day. The Mayor very aptly said that there is nothing in history so fine as »the British Empire and nothing so fine as the idea that by the aid of science the most far flung dominions could communicate, one with the other, on each side 6f the globe, within an hour, by means of the electric cable. The regrettable features are that - our Imperial states cannot communicate all the way by British lines and that the cost of cabling is still prohibitive for the ordinary purposes of everyday life. However, there are visible hopes of improvement in both directions. The tone of the Auckland speakers reflected the strong determination of all the interested colonies to break clown the inexplicable resistance of the British ! Post Office to the laying of a Stateowned Atlantic cable, which would make our Imperial business independent of the foreign monopoly now controlling every cable between the United Kingdom and the North American continent. As for reductions in cable charges Mr. Milward, the Australasian manager of the Pacific Cable expressed on behalf of the Board appreciation of the benefits given to the British Empire by cheaper rates. He quoted concessions recently made, and said there was no reason to think that finality had been reached. The general public, we would point out, is not interested in difficult code messages, but greatly needs cheap rates for plain English words: When we have an ordinary plain English rate to Australia of a halfpenny per word- and to England of one shilling per word the Empire will begin 'to realise the popular value of electric communication and to appreciate the beneficial? influence upon the cable business exerted by the Pacific Cable Board.