283

A.—4

15 June, 1911.] Cheapening of Cable Kates. [9th Day, Sir JOSEPH WARD— cont. cable world and that the whole of us are governed by an outside ring, who now maintain high charges over those private cables. That feeling is very wide spread, it spreads through a large section of the community who have no desire to injure those private companies. It is a feeling which has existed for quite a long time, and we do not get at the present time the full benefit of the Pacific Cable from the standpoint that it was intended to be a national cable to England itself, exclusive of the overland portion of the territory of Canada, and we feel all the time that, although we are ready and willing to do our part in assisting to have a cable laid across the Atlantic upon which we could have lower charges, the feeling is very widespread and I think it is only right to say so, that all the restriction that comes in at this end, between America and England, so far as the conveyance of messages goes, is debarring us from seeing the policy of a cheapening process in the general interests of the public given effect to, and it is this combination that is controlling everything and stopping that policy being carried out. I only want to put that on record because almost every section of the community in the country I represent which uses the cable to England has that Reeling and it is difficult to understand why so many of those cables should be practically empty on this side, while we are all fighting and willing to do our part in making a contribution toward the cost of a cable which would enable the lowering of the rates between the oversea countries and the Old Country itself to be put into operation. The PRESIDENT : Is that a mere suspicion on your part ? Sir JOSEPH WARD : It is a most pronounced feeling. lam not referring to the Government. The PRESIDENT : I quite appreciate that. Sir JOSEPH WARD : The point I wish to bring before the Conference is this. The amount New Zealand pays to the Pacific Cable is 8,0001. or 9,000?. a year, and we look on it as a mere bagatelle ; if it were possible for us to have the system completed across the Atlantic, if it cost us 20,000?. a year, we would look on that as a mere bagatelle, it would give us the means of insuring — I do not say there is anything improper on the part of the combination because they are trying to do the best they can with their cables — the regulating the rates to and from the Old Country. We would look on the contribution we were giving towards the cost of having a complete service of the kind as a very small matter compared with the benefits that would arise from it. I do not want to go into the Press aspect of it, but over the Pacific Cable to New Zealand there is the very greatest difficulty in obtaining Press messages across that cable to our country at all. That we know is due to a combination for the purpose of sending the Press messages from the Old World to Australia, and then they filter through to New Zealand, and that is done by an agreement between certain Press proprietors. That is not the fault of the Pacific Cable Board. The PRESIDENT : Is that the way you get all your Press information ? Sir JOSEPH WARD : Yes, it comes through Australia and on to New Zealand, but still the fact remains that we have a link connecting New Zealand with the Old Country across the Pacific and Canada, and that is not used for Press purposes at all. Only once in a way has it been used for the purpose of conveying Press messages, and I think I am right in saying that it is very little availed of. Mr. FISHER : It is not correct to say that it has hardly been used for Press purposes. We get and send a lot of news over it by arrangement. Sir JOSEPH WARD : From Australia to England ?