PACIFIC CABLE REPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18324, 14 February 1923, Page 9

PACIFIC CABLE REPORT.

DUPLICATION. PROJECT. SUVA TO AUCKLAND DIRECT. £100.000 TO BE ALLOCATED. Br Telegraph— Association—Copyright. . (Received 8.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. SYDNEY, Feb. 13. The Pacific Cable Board's report refers to the frequency of interruptions in the neighbourhood of Norfolk Island as disquieting, and adds: "The precarious conditions at this point constitute a serious menace to the complete continuity of the board's service. With a view to overcoming these disabilities, the board proposes to lay new cables between Suva and Auckland direct, and between Southport, Queensland, and Sydney." The report says that proposals for duplicating the Pacific cable have been submitted to the partner Governments, but, notwithstanding the need for increased facilities, llie board has. deferred' for a short time the carrying into effect j of that part of the scheme relating to, additional communication between Canada and Fiji. The report mentions that the new system of working at Auckland with Cox magnifiers and interpolators and Creed printers, has fulfilled all expectations, and resulted in a large reduction of the Auckland staff. In the past year, in addition to international traffic, 2,300,000 paying words were sent between Australia and New Zealand, and between those Dominions and Pacific islands, which was 200,000 less than the previous year. International traffic for the year totalled 8,500,000 paying words, an increase of 600,000. The surplus for last year totalled £210,257, of which £100,000 will be allocated for duplication purposes. Despite the increase in international traffic, the receipts fell. short of the previous year by £98,500, due largely to the reinstatement of the weekend cheap services.