THE PACIFIC SUBMARINE CABLE

Otago Witness, Issue 1862, 29 July 1887, Page 16

THE PACIFIC SUBMARINE CABLE

The Hon. Audley Coote, of Tasmania, arrived in San Francisco on June 19, from London, and left in the steamship Alameda, on July 1, for Sydney. His business abroad was the promotion of the enterprise of a submarine cable between the Pacific-American coast and Australia, connecting at the same time the Hawaiian Islands and Fiji. Mr Coote was to make San Francisco the shore end, but being unable to secure a subsidy from the United States Government the projectors have concluded to fix the terminus at Vancouver, in British Columbia. He has secured a substantial subsidy of 400,000d0l per year from the Canadian, Hawaiian, and Australian Governments, of which Hawaii contributes 20,000d01. The whole cost is to be 20,000,000d01, and he states that the project is now on a firm basis and will be pushed to speedy completion. Arrangements are also in progress by the Cable Company for the transmission of messages from England to Vancouver, 8.C., via Mackay and Bennett's line. When all is completed the cost all round will be reduced to about onehalf the present rates. From London to Vancouver will be 16|c per word instead of about 33c, and a rate will be made for the San Francisco press at one-half of what it is now. The present rate from England to Australia (65c per word) will be cut down to 20c,