The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-10-08
THE PACIFIC CABLE.
As viewed From the Inter-Colonial
Standpoint.

Standpoint.
In an article on "Inter.Colonial As
poets of the Pacific Gable Project" the
Foreign and Colonial Importer for Sep
tember contains the following:
Now that the Pacific cable scheme
bids fair to become an accomplished
fact some time in the future, 1t may be
remarked that it is scheme important in
its inter-colonial bearing and vast in its
proportions. There il already a vast
system of submarine telegraph cables
connecting this country and Austria
lasia giving the choice, not only of
duplicate and triplicate cables over part
of the route, but furnishing also alter
nate routes. But the Colonies have
asked for a cable between Australia and
Canada: and various lines across, or
rather under, the Pacific have been
suggested-that finding most support at
the last Colonial conference at Wash.
ington being one touching at Samoa and
the Sandwich Islands.
When it is remembered that
the dtauce from Auckland in
New Zealand to Honolulu is
over 1900 miles, the length
of the project OF which this
is q section may be gathered. The
total length may be given as about 7OOO
miles. The cost of the construction and
laying of single cable has been gener-
ally stated at fl 500, 900, an estimate
which will, to the general reader, indl-
cate better than any other the import
ance of the project. 1t is proposal that
has both its physical and commercial
interests. The Atlantic has had many
cables laid under it, but the Pacific
ocean is largely unused by cable compa-
MES; and its capabilities and its dangers
are not appreciated fully yet. At the
present time the traffic by cable be-
tween Australasia and Canada ''consists
roughly of / 300. 600 words per annum,
and it is worth about e209, 900 year
A new cable would take part of that
and would also aid in enlarging the
traffic, taking some share of that en-
largement. What it would have to do
would be to pay the working expenses,
the interest on capital, and To maintain
the cable and provide for its replace
ment when worn out. 1t is claimed for
the Pacific cable that it would have a
strategic value; that it would mainly
touch at places where British influence
would be supreme: and that the diff
culties of cable-laying and cable.
maintenance in the ''perilous seas
OF the Pacific have been over-estimated.
The question is one that is important
and interesting. 1t brings up the con-
sideration OF the need for the binding
together of the Colonies and the Mother
Country with the cords of communica-
ton, as well as that OF the feasibility of
opening out vast seas for one of the
landmarks OF commerce; whilst its
bearing on the relation of Governments
to the Adventures who first opened out
Australasan territory to European com
merce by the cables that are extended
in such a marvellous manner around
Africa, and thence through the Indian
Ocean, is an interesting one. How, by
whom, and under what conditions a
cable may be laid on the unused surface
of the uneven Pacific floor is one Of the
problems of electricity that seem to be
nearing solution; but that solution
must take into account colonial con-
tributon to imperial needs.