PENNY-A-WORD CABLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 273, 20 November 1901, Page 2

PENNY-A-WORD CABLES.

A proposal wbioh has not so far re ce : ved much attention in Nbw Zealand (say* the N.Z. Times) ia that for the transmission of " psnny-a-word cable messages " between England and Australasia. The idea was referred to by Sir J. W. Barry, the chairman of tbe Eastern Telegraph Company at the last half-yearly meeting of its ehareho'dew. The company, it seems, has already laid before the Imperial pos f al authorities and the Telegraph Administration of India a proposal which, if adopted, would enable private individuals to make use of cable communicition at a cost similar to that paid by firms and institutions which enjoy the advantages of the perfected code system. The latest codes make it possible for users to exp ess themselves in a very comprehensive manner with a minimum of code words. India is an obstacle to giving effect to the propcsil above referred to, but it is said that a discussion is now proceeding between the Indian and British authorities which is expected to pnd in favour of t'*e public. In considering the proposal it has, of course, to hi kept in mind that codes are employed for more than one reason. It is true that they are used in order to s*ve expense, but they are also used with the object of ensuring the secrecy which is essential to the successful carrying on of many branches of business. The fact was mentioned by Sir J. W. Barry in his speech that something like ninety-five per cent of the traffic of cable companies is orried on by means of codes. In answer to the allegation that the idea of transmitting penny-a-wori cablegrams by utilising an exhaustive cod« system is a device to prejudicially affect the Pacific cible service, it has been pointed out that the inception of the idea antedates the fquabbles which have lately taken place in Australia in regard to the Pacific cable