EMPIRE PRESS CABLE RATES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19375, 10 January 1925, Page 15

EMPIRE PRESS CABLE RATES.

DEPUTATION TO PACIFIC CABLE BOARD. REQUEST FOE DECREASED CHARGES. LINE TAXED TO CAPACITY. (From Oon Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 27. A deputation of members of the Empire Press Union attended and waited on tho Pacific Cable Board this week to discuss tho question of the reduction of tho rate for press messages exchanged with Australia and New Zealand. The deputation was headed by Viscount Burnham, president of the Empire Press Union, who said that it embraced all branches of tho prees and was representative of public opinion in Great Britain and in Australia and New Zealand. Reference was made by Lord Burnham and Sir Hugh Denison, to an assurance given by . tho Commonwealth Postmastergeneral (Mr Gibson), during his recent visit to London, that arrangements had been mado for tho reduction of the press rate, as well as for tho reduction of the ordinary and ‘'deferred'' rates, and Mr Gibson had, on this ground, declined to receive, tv deputation from the Empire Press Union, aa he considered it to bo unnecessary. It was represented that tho facilities for the exchange of Empire nows by ca'bte are ina—oquate, that Empire Press traffic is a matter of public convenience, and that facilities for this traffic should ho substantially improved, Tho board were asked to reconsider the decision to maintain the press rate at tho existing! level, and the hop© was expressed that the board would agree to reduce this rate in like proportion to the forthcoming reduction of tho ordinary and “ deferred ” ordinary rates. It was suggested that capacity for carrying additional press traffic could bo provided by a modification of the conditions of accepting weekend telegrams. _ , Tho Chairman of tho Pacific Cable Board, in reply, said that they hud tho highest appreciation of the importance of wide facilities for the dissemination of Empire nows, and wore entirely sympathetic towards its aims. As regards what had been said about assurances given by Mr Gibson, ho stated that Mr Gibson had attended tho meetings of tho board at which tho proposals for reducing ordinary and “ deferred ’ ordinary rates were discussed, and on no occasion was there any mention of press rates. Iho minutes of tho mooting® which wore attended by Mr Gibson proved that modification of the press rate was at no time contemplated. So far as tho Liard were concerned, there was absolutely no misunderstanding. They would bo happy to cooperate in increasing tho existing facilities it circumstances permitted, but the 1 acme Cable as occupied to the limit of capacity, and it would be impracticable to handle any additional traffic. Accordingly the board bad decided that further reductions of rates could not bo mado until the cable had been duplicated. Tho hoard intended to call for tenders in tho near future for duplicate cables, and had no reason to doubt that these cables would ho in uso by tho end ot tiie next 13 months. LOW AND UNRE'MUNERATIYK. It wan pointed out that of tho through press rate of per word the proportion actually received by tho board for transmission between Montreal and Australia (a distance of over 10,000 miles) is 3d per word, being taken for transmission across tho Atlantic and Id for tho terminal rale levied by tho Commonwealth Government. For “deferred" press traffic tho board's proportion for tho transmission over a distance exceeding 10,000 miles is only lid per word. These rates were already exceedingly low, and were totally unromunorativo, but, as already made clear, the chief reason against any further reduction was that tho line was already taxed to its utmost capacity with the existing traffic. Those who attended'were; Viscount Bumham (president of tho Empire Press Union), Mr Taylor Darbyshiro (Australian Proas Association), Sir Hugh Denison (the Sun newspapers, Australia), Sir Robert Donald, C.B.E. (chairman of council. Empire Press Union), Mr D. Crawford (the Daily Mail), Mr H. A. Gwynns (the Morning Post), Mr J. B. Hobman (tho Westminster Gazette), Mr Guy Iniies (the Melbourne Herald), Sir Roderick Jones (Reuter's, Ltd.), Mr N. K. Korney (Argus, South African Ncwnpera), Mr Valsntino Knapp (ttho Newspaper Society), Mr W. Lints-mith (The Times), Mr F. W. Tonkin (Australian Cable Somes), Mir W. Will (tho Daily Graphic), and Mr H. E. Tumor (secretary. Empire Press Union).