The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-10-03
A Pacific Gable.

|
British, German and Australian
trans-Pacifc telegraph cable, the
New York Sun asks why the west
ern end should not be at San Fran,
cisco instead of Vancouver, seeing
that there would be a saving in the
distance of little short of 1000
miles. We imagine that COM
mercially there would be a de-
cided gain by adopting San Fran
cisco as the terminus in the initial
cost Of construction, in working
expenses, and also in revenue, be-
cause The cable must break the
message at Hawaii, and American
interests are dominant there. But
this cable has some political ends
to serve as well as commercial, or
it would not have the official
financial backing of Great Britain,
Germany and Australia. 1t is not
to be line dependent wholly upon
the requirements of trade, but is
to be subsidized, and no doubt
some compensatory privileges are
attached in regard to official mes
sages. This is not the usual course
of England. 1t leaves the cable
companies, as a rule, alone in their
enterprise, and gives its aid
in the shape of messages, which
form a considerable item of rev.
enue. The sole advantage of hav-
ing the cable at Vancouver must
lie in having this as well as the
other terminus on British territory,
and available in war time. The
awkwardness of not having a cable
absolutely at command was illus
trated somewhat in Siam during
the late imbroglio with France. 1t
is not supposed there was any tam
pering or dallying with messages,
but they had to pass over the wires
of British companies, and Britain
was deeply concerned in the result
of the bellicose dispute. 1t is said
that the aid from Germany will be
sufficient to provide the expense
incurred between Fiji, Samoa and
Hawaii; Australia can defray the
expenditure at the southern end
and Britain that of the Vancouver
section, and thus the burden will
be well distributed.
1t is a question of time when we
shall have an American cable to
Honolulu. If, as our contemporary
thinks, it would pay, there ought
to be no delay, but there are no
signs of capital moving. Were the
government to PROFOUND a policy
either on this or on Hawaii itself
there might be eagerness shown,
but so far all is downright apathy,
save in journalistic advocacy. Talk
will neither lay this cable nor open
the Nicaragua canal. Not ten men
out of hundred in their inmost
thoughts deny that these projects
are highly desirable and even nee
essary in the promotion of Ameri-
cas- highest political and CONNER
cial interests, but with all their
available wealth capitalists do not
stir, and some of them WELD a
malign influence in thwarting
congressional action on the canal
enterprise. In these matters pa
thence is virtue under severe dis
cipl:ne. The route to the Sandwich |
has been surveyed and |
shown to be as suitable as any |
ocean bed. We could even go |
further with the cable and connect |
it with the Orient. But at all |
events it must be stretched between
California and Hawaii, where our
interests are paramount. A govern
ment subsidy need not endure for !
ever. 1t could be withdrawn when
the cable is successful in the bust
ness sense, and any official pay
ments thereafter could be condi- |
toned upon the strict performance
of SERVICES. F. Call.