THE INTERCOLONIAL CABLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7808, 12 September 1903, Page 4

THE INTERCOLONIAL CABLE.

y lb appears now that the circular recently ftMiied hy the Eastern Extension Cable . Ganrpany indicating that it might lift ite cable* connecting Australia and New Zealand, on the ground that it is receiving insufficient support from this colony,, was not meant as a threat. On the assumption that it waa intended as a threat it was answered in characteristic fashion by the Po-tmaster-jGenovaL "If the company were to oarry put its threat I should hail it with touch* ■-._ jMrtasfacfcion," said Sir Joseph Ward yesteas yfby, and we lhave no doubt that he meant ■what he said. As we pointed out whea we Inferred to the subject a few days ago, the .wi&dr&wal of Eastern Extension Com«.;pany would afford the New Zealand Government an excellent opportunity of acquiring a State-owned cable. Judging from Sir Joseph Ward, s remarks to a newspaper reporter yesterday, the Government would ■ot neglect such an opportunity. It will lie within the recollection of many people thttt some years ago t_je- New Zealand Go-.▼erajn-ent approached tbe Extension Com. pany and offered to buy it out, but the company, it seems, did not take the, trouble to .* Stply. It probably wishes now that it had been snore courteous. It would at leest have lost nothirrg by acknowledging tihe j Government's offer. As matters have turnted lout, it looks as if it would have been well Advised, pot. only to reply .toi the offer, but aiao to accept it. The goodwill of its business was worth & /gr^at deal ■sore then than it is worth now, and one tf its cables, which was old at that th»e, is no less than twentyeeven years old at the present time. , If we were in the company's place and were really desirous of abandoning our New Zealand basiness, we should be inclined to fear that we had missed our market. Not that the New Zealand Government would refuse to buy the Cable Company out if it were . approached now. On the contrary, we lave f3ir Joseph Ward's assurance tnat " if the company is anxious to get out of the intercolonial trade the Government is quite prepared to negotiate for its cables, provided the price is satisfactory." We need hardly add that we hop© the day is not far distant when negotiations will be opened, and that they will lead to the purchase of the cables. Indeed, Sir Joseph . JWird holds out suoh an alluring prospect of the results of a State-owned intercolonial cable servioe that we may be forgiven if we 1 go a, -ittle further and express a hope tbat, •whether or not the company withdraws from tho irrt(srcoloni-_l trade, the New Zealand and Commonwealth! Governments, or, if the latter Government dieolines to partfoipate in the enterprise, the New Zealand Government alone, will seriously consider the advisablc-iess of laying a State-owned •able. Then, and not until then, it may be possible to enforce the scheme which Sir - Joseph Ward has in view. This scheme is y the cheapening of rates to the level of - the charges on land lines.