RIVAL CABLE ROUTES.

New Zealand Mail, 8 February 1900, Page 23

RIVAL CABLE ROUTES.

BRISBANE. February 6. The Hon Mr Larke, Commissioner in Australia for the Dominion of Canada, in a letter, addressed to the Premier (the Hori R. Philp) says that if-the concessions- demanded by .the Fust ern, - .Tel&r . gi-apli Extension Gompany for the Cape cable are granted,; -and the company secure s; d in onopo-ly of business, Canada’s share of. the -loss ,’on .the .working of the Pacific cable will be £30,000 annually. -Mr Larke questions if the Canadian or Imperial CTOvernments will care to undertake such a loss. . He thinks that it would put an end to the Pacific scheme. SYDNEY, February .6. A cricket dinner to-night was attended by a number of Queensland members of Parliament. One of them, in the course of a speech, referred to the cable question; and declared that whichever line would provide the cheapest messages ought to be supported. He was prepared. to act independently in connection with th,e Eastern Company’s offer—notwithstanding the decision ot the Premiers’ Conference if he could get the company to agree to his conditions.. In this he was certain the Government and Parliament would back liim up. Closing with such conditions would mean a saving of a million sterling to the colony in four years. [Unfortunately the name of the gentleman making this speech has been in*-the message. From the tenor of the remarks, however, it may be* assumed that they were uttered by either the Premier or Postmaster-General. j