THE CABLE QUESTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2346, 12 November 1908, Page 5

THE CABLE QUESTION.

A PENNY A WORD.

ADDRESS BY HENNIKEIt HEATON.

United Press Association. Copyright (Received Nov. 11, 11.35 p.m.)

LONDON, Nov. 11

Mr. Henniker Heaton, at the Colonial Institute, universal penny-a-word cables, and said he believed that the collapse of the relentless opposition to Imperial penny posttage justified the belief that his cablo scheme would be successful in the near future. If political frontiers’ were abolished or ignored by an arrangement with foreign Governments the chief obstacle would be removed. If that was impossible he relied on Marconi. The Postmasters-General of the Empire ought to meet in London. Home and colonial Governments should offer to construct land lines to portions of the Empire along the route to British oversea possessions. The money which Governments expended in cables would be more than sufficient to pay the interest on all the cables and land lines which it was necessary to acquire. While thinking the cable companies ungenerous and unwise, still he was unwilling to deprive them of a farthing of their just reward. English merchants paid five millions a year in cabling, though only three millions were spent on inland message® by the whole United Kingdom notwithstanding the enormous cost foM the messages! of a social kind despatched. Anglo-Saxon-doin .longed for more intimate communion. In Government hands the cables would cost only a million a year instead of four millions. H© blamed the Imperial Post Office for never advocating lowering the cost of cabling, and said that the marvellous Poliak-Virag system would enable cables to cope with the rush of messages at popular rates/ The concession must increase the cohesion of the Empire. Penny-a-word cables were not a luxury, but one of humanity’s needs. If cablo monopolies would not move, reformers were independent of them. If a cable to Canada were constructed, land lines would do the rest. The natural trade route to Australasia was via India and China, and the British and colonial Governments together could either buy out the cable companies at the market price or act, as indications directed. The first step was to call an Imperial Conference, then a conference with the American- postal authorities, and also link -up the land lines of Europe with India, Chinla, and Australia.