THE POSTAL CONFERENCE

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 13

THE POSTAL CONFERENCE

', THE PACIFIC CABLE. Hobaet, April 5. * ; The Postal Conference had a lengthy ds» > cui&ion over the Pacific snd Cape cables,' ■ It was resolved that, in the absence of ajay , satisfactory proposal from the Eastern Efc- : tension Company, and of any proposala"*at ' all except on the basis of an alternative !• cable via Africa, this conference are unabls ■ to make any fresh arrangement with the 1 Eastern Extension Company. Postmaster-general Dickson (Queensland) 1 advocated a Pacific cable, and moved ia favour of its consummation as speedily as possible ; and that communications be made 1 to Canada and Eagland that if they will each contribute one-third of the cost Aus1 tralia would give the other third. This waa carried. : The Conference decided to instruct their 1 respective Agents- general to oppose the proposed reduction of mail rates to 23 ; al«o to oppose the Canadian proposal to reduce the rate from 5c to 3c. Postmaster - general Cook (New , South Wales J, ia the course of the discussion, er- | pressed disappointment at the unsatisfactory J offer of tha Eastern Extension Company, j Tha Conference had gr?at reason to comI plain of the way the company had actad. They bad sent no definite proposals. The company said they could make no reduction in tho preaent rates, and if Australia entered into a Cape route arrangement the pre.sent price of Government raessager would be reduced to 2s 6d and or" press messages to Is 6<3, but it Appeared that there was no inclination to reduce the. price of messages sent by thft public. This wan not sufficient. Last year alone, which was a year of reduced traffic, tbe monoy collected was £50,000 ia excess of the guaranteed amount, yet the j company were only prepared with, a concesj sion amounting to about £4000. The ccmj pany were disinclined to do 3 njtbiug except ion the understanding that the colonies entered into an alternative route via the J Cape. Unless it could be shown that the > Cape rout 3 afforded Australia advantages beyond stategio and sentimental ones from. an Empire point of view, tho Conference could not recommend the respective colonies to accept the arrangement. They would noli subsidise a Cape cable. - A better alternative route would be via Canada.

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