NEW CABLE ROUTE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12084, 13 August 1917, Page 8

NEW CABLE ROUTE.

WELLINGTON" TO SYDNEY. An anmunce ncnt oi importance was made to a Wellington " Post," reporter on .Saturday morning by tho New Zealand represent a fivo of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company. For months pa,st there has been great activity on both sides of tho Tasman in connection with tho transference of tho Eastern Extension Company's two cables from La Perouso (Now South Wales) to Sydney, and tho New Zealand end from Wakapnaka (Nelson) to Wellington. Gangs of men havo been busy for months hiving au underground land line Irom the General Post Office in Wellington Lo the new " shore end" hut on tlie seacoast, to which the

"Waka" end of the cables will ho joined up as soon as the necessary preparations have been completed. A suite of rooms on tho top floor of Nathan's .Buildings has been fitiled up with the necessary receiving and transmitting apparatus, and two "tubes" running under the street connect up with the General Post Office The company's officials in Sydney have, been jusi as hu.sy as those on this side. The cable station at La Perouse, tho " Waka " of New South Wales, has been done awav with, and a receiving and transiniliung station e.stii.bl.ishe.c! right in the very heart of Sydney. The Eastern Extension Company's representative inlormed the reporter that it is hoped to establish, direct eomnranication between the two centres about the end of the month. This movo will be of tho utmost importance to the people of New Zealand. It will menu virtually that the heart of Wellington is in direct communication by means of submarine cable, with the heart of Sydney. Bv tho old method, a cablegram for Australia handed in at the General Post. Office, Wellington, would ho forwarded to Wakapunka. ""Waka" in turn would transmit it to La l'erouse, and the message would then be retransmitted to Sydney—-the whole involving three distinct transmissions. When the cable, is joined up lo Wellington, two of the.se will bo done away with, and Jill retransmission of the message will be thus obviated. The removal, has involved a very large expenditure"---how much it is not permissible to mention-—but the entiro cost is exceedingly high. All the expenso lias been shouldered by the Eastern Extension Company. All cablegrams for transmission by tho new route will have to be marked "via Eastern,'' and will, of course, bo received as usual at tho General Post Office telegraph counter, where they will be shot over to Nathan's Building by means of tho "tube." 'As Wellington is the centre, of all tho North and South Island trunk telegraph lines, it will bo merely a matter of seconds for a man in any" part of tho Dominion to have his telegraphed to Wellington and then dispatched to Sydney. The "Waka" staff will b 0 brought ever to Wellington about tho end of tho month in order to tako over tho i.ew cable station. One advantage of the transference of tho cable-end to Wellington is lhat tho present branch cable lino from Wakapuaka to Wellington will be practically fi'co for ordinary telegraph messages, although, of course, South Island cablegrams will have to be .sent bv it. In addition to the transference of the cable-ends, ono of the company's vessels has been over tho whole of the existing cable. All those portions which wero in tho slight* est degree worn have been replaced, and tho entire cable is now quite as good as when it was laid down.