The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-11-18
THE PACIFIC CABLE.
Talk of Giving Honolulu the
CODY.

New Caledonia, left yesterday
afternoon for Melbourne, en- route
for England. He speaks in the
highest terms of the cable, and
says that the tests made of it show
that it is one Of the best ever laid
What, however, is of more import
ance at the present moment, in
view of the complications which
have arisen through the proposals
made by the Canadian representa-
tives who are at the present time
engaged in promoting their parti-
cular projects, is whether the line
is to be continued past New Gale
donia, and from what Mr.. Coote
says, there need be no doubt on
that point. The second section
will proceed from Gomen, New
Caledonia, to FIJI, a distance of
791 miles; the third section is
from Fiji to Samoa, 6S5 miles !;
the fourth section is from Samoa
to Hawaii, via Tanning island,
2417 miles and the last section,
from Hawaii to Vancouver, 2675
miles; and if the cable is finished
it will go on to Frisco.
Mr.. Coote has written a long let
let to the premier in which he sew
erely criticises the project of Mr..
Sanford Fleming, and enters into
details with the view of showing
the superiority of the cable which
he specifically represents. He
describes the rival route as an old
scheme, and he AYERS that it will
be utterly impossible to lay down
a Pacific cable which does not
touch on foreign territory. Samoa,
for instance, is under the joint con-
troll of Great Britain, Germany and
the United States, while at Homo
lulu the French people have to be
consulted. He understands that
Mr.. Sanford Fleming proposes to
leave out Honolulu; but he points
out that if this be done there will
be stretch of cable of 5000 miles
without a landing point, and at
present the longest cable laid has
only an extent of 1000 miles. A
cable of the former length instead
of being economical would entail
extra expenditure, owing to
stronger cable having to be pro-
vided. Mr.. Coote attaches no i'm
portance to the talk about the use
which might be made of the
French cable in time of war, as
treaties provide for the protection
of such cables. He mentioned also
that what the New South Wales
have done is simply to
guarantee the payment of a sum of
money to the support of the cable.
AS a matter of fact it is very hypo-
thetical if any of the guarantee
will be required, as it is expected
that the returns will be sufficient
to render it unnecessary to call on
the government for any money.
to Mr.. Coote, what the
New South Wales government have
done is to "back a bill' for the
in return for which they
have the right to send their mes
sages over the line free Of charge
for thirty years. He mentions that
az soon as the line was completed
he wrote to the premier stating that
the cable was now finished, and
that the service was at the service |
Of the government. This privilege,
he contends, is good return for |
an, I that New South Wales
runs in the matter.
Mr.. Coote agrees with the posi-
ion taken up by the government,
hat this colony is only bound to
he first section of the cable, eX-
tending from Bundaberg to Gomen,
Jut he adds that, whether the
colony decides to assist further or
not, it is the intention of the
French company to continue the
inc. Indeed he is now en- route to
to make the necessary in
Iuiries as to the construction of
he second section of the cable,
orders for which have been given,
md he expects to see the line LAID
% Samoa in about eighteen months.
1t is reported that the United
States are anxious that the COM
oany shall make its terminal point
1T San Francisco, overtures having
been made in that direction
,y leading telegraph company in
he States. The French company
prefer to go via Vancouver, so that
he line might go through British
erritory. If, however, there is any
opposition to the cable being landed
It Vancouver by the Canadian gov
,rnment, the French company will
accept the overtures made
~ the American company. Mr..
Joote expects to be back in Aus
ralia in about five months time.
Herald, Oct. "a.