THE CAPE CABLE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 56

THE CAPE CABLE.

FRIENDS AND OPPONENTS OF THE SCHEME.

MELBOURNE, January 30.

- The JEEon W. Gurr, Postmaster-Gene-ral, states that he approached the Pacific Cable Board at the instance of the Cabinet. OEe declares himself still a strong supporter of the Cape cable. He says, also, that Mr Seddon spent an hour with him endeavouring to convince him that .Victoria should not support the Eastern Extension Company’s cable, but failed to do so. It is understood that Sir George Turner Is in the main an opponent of the Cape cable. MR SEDDON’S NEGOTIATIONS.

h MELBOURNE, January 30. ? A conference of the Premier, Mr Gurr, Mr Warren and Mr Seddon was held to-day in connection with the Eastern Extension Cable Company’s charges and the right to open their own offices. , , _ , The Premier of Queensland telegraphed that, while his colony did not see its way to grant the company’s terms, it was prepared to. assure their business fair treatment, at the same time working fairly with the Pacific cable contracting parties. Sir George Turner and Mr Seddon concurred with this view, and, with Queensland, they would be no party to

giving terms to the Eastern Extension Company that the Imperial Government and Canada might deem prejudicial to the Pacific cable, and which would decrease the business over that line, and increase the contribution of the contracting parties. A suggestion, which, it is understood,, emanated from the Pacific Cable Advisory Board, is to the effect that there should be a common purse, or, in other words, that arrangements the same as exist with other companies in America and elsewhere should be made to work under a fixed tariff and to transmit messages in the case of a break-down, the transmitting company giving a percentage to the company that otherwise would have forwarded the message. The matter was discussed on this and the other suggestion, and a joint memorandum is to be. sent to the Eastern Extension Company. The Governments of Victoria and Queensland are very firm in their refusal to do anything that would stultify their respective colonies in the eyes or the other Pacific contracting parties.