THE PACIFIC CABLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11658, 15 February 1900, Page 5

THE PACIFIC CABLE.

■;•_■,;■•■■;';,;' • -,i o ■ i . "Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright . .:■■" ;:■•: rV''... "■';. SXDjSFEY, February 14. . .The" Premier thinks that the objections to the ~G»pe cable are quite unreasonable. . . The} Pacific Cable is not. in any way . jeopardised ..by the offef of the .Eastern Extension Company-. It relieves the Go- , ■ yernment : 'of a yery heavy subsidy/ and materially reduces- the tariff. Certainly -, if thejPacific route cannot justify its own existence. :ihere. can be no great argument for.laying the cable at all. ulr Crick, in a,speech,.said that if the Pacific cable could not stand fair competition he did not see wliy it:,should not, go to the Hvall. That a - Government' cable, supported by Canada, England, and Australasia, and having all the"; Gfovernment business as a monopoly, . could not- compete against a private firm was a-gainst. common sense. w : :\.:'< ■:■•■ -}.\ MELBOURNE, -February 14. ;, ; (Received February 15, at 0.10 a.m.)' The general-manager of tlie Eastern Extension Company has informed the Post-master-general that his board has agreed tV. the'modifications of the Cape' cable scheme recommended by the Premiers' Conference, subject to certain- ■' slight amendments. Formal notice of not less . than six months will be given to enable the company to; open -its own offices simultaneously with completing the cable. The question of lifting tlie Roebuck Bay cable is to be left to the Westralian Government and .the'--company to settle after the completion of the Cape cable. The manager, ■. states ' that : the reduced rates . come into operation within , three weeks after signing the contract! ' V