The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-01-03
A PACIFIC CABLE.
Status Of the Link About to be
Laid in the South.
The Contractors Ready to Couple Up
the Hawaiian Archipelago.

The following article is from the
London Times weekly edition of
November Is, 1892:
In November, 1872, public ban
quets were held in London, Adelaide,
and Sydney in celebration of the
completion of the grand electric
chain which united the capitals of
the Australian colonies with the rest
of the British Empire. Twenty years
later proposals have been submitted,
in form which seems to imply seri-
Gus business, to construct an alter
native service to Australasia, via the
Pacific. The idea has, of course,
been long mooted. Queensland has
never been reconciled to the con-
struction of the land line of 1000
miles through the heart of Australia
by the splendid enterprise of South
Australia, which, at cost of nearly
half million sterling, connected
Adelaide with Port Darwin, the ter
minus of the Eastern Extension
Company's cable system. Queens
land was ambitious to construct the
land link with the company's cable,
via the eastern coast and Cardwell,
to the Gulf of Carpentaria. But the
energy of South Australia, combined
with the ignorance which prevailed
as to the route from Port Darwin to
the Roper River, induced the COM
pany to give the preference to the
project of the southern colony.
The idea of an alternative cable,
via the Pacific, has long exercised a
fascination over the minds of certain
enterprising gentlemen in Canada
and England. The Pacific Tele-
graph Company was accordingly re-
gistered, with nominal capital of
f2,OOOOOO. Though this was not
subscribed then or since, the COM
pany submitted proposals to the
Colonial Conference which assem-
bled in London early in 1887 for the
construction of cable from Van
couver Island to Australia, touching
at Hawaii, flaming Island, Samoa,
FIJI, and New Zealand; and, in re-
turn for guarantee from the Gov
ernments of Great Britain, Canada,
dllSt Ii1o SOloHlSS, vi va
to the amount of f75,OO0 per annum
for 25 years, they agreed to grant a
cable rate of As. per word for both
Government and public messages
and to make further reductions if
the estimates of increased traffic
were realized. A general assent was
given by the conference to the i'm.
portance of cable communication
: between Australia and Vancouver
but the proposal has not advanced
much beyond the region of discus
sion. Mr.. Sanford Fleming. G. M. G..
of Canada, has been one of the
strongest advocates of the alterna,
tive line, largely on the ground that
it would pass mainly through British
possessions.
But the proposals which are now
made, and which seemed destined tc
bear fruit, are of French origin. The
negotiations with the colonial gov
! ernments consulted have been con
Quoted through Captain Audley
Coote, who, on behalf of the So
3 ciete Franchise DIES Telegraphes
Y Sous-Marin, has undertaken to lay
j. within 1S months, cable establish
| ing communication between Queens
land and New Caledonia. In makins
: his proposals to the Hon. T. Un
, mack, the Postmaste General o
: Queensland, Captain Coote distinct
, ly declared that the new line woult
. be the first section of the main Paci
fic cable that Queensland and Can
S ada were so anxious to have com
:, pleted. The two colonies whicl
l must primarily benefit from the con
e struction of the line to New Gale
| donia are Queensland and Ney
| South Wales, the former being onl
;. 800 miles distant and the latter hay
: ing already extensive commercial re
|, lations with the French penal settle
T ment. The governments of thes
g colonies appear to have readily &C
/ quiesced in the proposal that the
g should each guarantee the Frenc
o company $1,000 year on condition
!, that the French Government guar
= anteed $4,000 year for 30 years; tn
company, in their turn, undertaking
to lay, maintain, and work the lin,
allowing the guarantors the free us
of the section for government mes
q sages up to the extent of their guar
J. antee in each year of the period re
ferred to.
5, 1t was further agreed that th
2 working expenses should not excee
J. f2400 year, and that the receipt
Y over and above that amount shout
c go towards the annual reduction {
!. the guarantee of fl2OOO, to
.. shared at the rate of one-sixth fo
t.. Queensland, one-sixth for New Sout
II Wales, and two-thirds for the Go,
) eminent of France. The cable rat
J. between Queensland and New Cali
l. donia will be Is. for ten-word me-
sage and under Gncluding adore,
and signature), and cd. extra fC
every additional word. Though til
matter has been kept decidedly quiz
J. considering the magnitude of til
r political and commercial interest
: involved, confirmation has been oil
o tanned in Paris of the accuracy ,
e the above details. The French Go
eminent admit that they are parti'
It to the contract, and ii is anticipate
IS that the guarantee of fSOOO a YET
If will he ratified by the Chamber {
nnnut los nnxt mont Ia and vary moss