The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-11-25

by making the enterprise a purely Brit
ish one. Accordingly a conference was
held in London in July last, at which the
promoters were represented, together
with the Imperial Government as well
as the Governments OF Carada and Aus
tralasia 1t was understood that an an
nual subsidy Of 100000 $500, OOO) for
twenty-five years would be sufficient, Of
which Great Britain, India and the
Crown Colonies should contribute one
half and Australasia and Canada the re-
naming moiety An Imperial guaran-
tee OF 100000 a year, or S45O, 900,
would have been preferred, az it would
enable the promoters to borrow money
at a cheap rate The subsidy named is
to pay interest on borrowed capital and
create a sinking fund to secure its re-
payment in twenty-five years. mas
much as the company is now formed, it
Is to be presumed that one or other
guarantee has been given.
The British Imperial Government has
entered heartily into the work, and the
line Of route between British Columbia
and these Islands is to be SURVEYED bv
one OF Her Majesty's ships. The sur
veying ship may be expected here early
in January next. The course Of the ca
bic will be from Vancouver, 3. c.. to
the Fiji group, with the Hawaiian Isl
ands and Tanning Island as mid-ocean
stations. From the FIJI Islands cable
would connect at North Cape with the
New Zealand telegraph system, and at
Brisbane or Sydney with the Australian
system. The ocean cable as projected
would be $500 geographical miles, in
Guiding the short section of 100 miles
across the Strait of Georgia to Vancou-
yer City, the terminus OF the Canadian
Pacific Railway.
To complete this system it would be
necessary to construct $3.50 statute
miles Of telegraph along the line OF the
Canadian Pacific and Intercolonial rail
way, connecting with a new Atlantic
cable at Gaspe, in the province OF Que
bee, and thence via the Straits of Belle
Isle to the Irish Coast, a distance OF
2, 450 geographical miles. ''These three
great sections connected, and the bust
ness under one management" say the
promoters, cit will be possible to reduce
permanently the charges on messages to |
the lowest practicable rates, and thus
render the line of the greatest CONNER
cial utility. The arrangements |
proposed, and the terms agreed upon, |
will admit of messages being sent from |
Australia to Great Britain on the open |
ing of the new line at less than one |
half-eventually it is believed at one
third-the charges at present exacted. |
The cable across the Pacific |
will always be removed from the theater |
of European complications. 1t will not !
only be direct measure of communi- |
cation between the Australian Colonies |
and the Mother Country, but if an emer- !
gency arises to render every wire /
through Europe and Egypt useless, it |
will still be possible to communicate |
with India. Indeed, every British sta |
ton between South Africa and Port Ham (
ilton lin Cereal may continue in tele- |
graphic connection with London"
Such is the vast telegraph enterprise !
winch has Just been started under Brit
ish control, to be completed with Eng
fish gold. With the single exception of !
the Hawaiian Islands the shore termini |
of this cable will be upon British terri !
tory, because Tanning Island is the
property OF a British subject and is
under the protection of his Home Gov
eminent. The construction of this cable
will be of incalculable benefit to these |
Islands, the Government of which was
authorized to cooperate by the legisla- |
ton of last session.