New-York tribune., 1894-10-09
THE PACTFIC CiBLE.

The contractors If Great Britain are Just now
figuring N the invitation Of III" 'alIAnlhH ''N
crnmcut on plans for a Pacific cable. ElEh
routes are under consideration. all "f Whlch
are io connect Vancouver with ih' hrI'
ish possessions in Australasia. Ihr"" "'
these lines have dollbl" terminus III
the southern end. one branch going 10
New Zealand and The other 10 Tw""lin"u'h' on
thr east coast IL Australia Thrc" plans pro-
rosn = single line to ihc Queensland terminus
and two contemplate an ending at N'wIcalaiu
The contractor, have a large liberty IL choice
in rnrltrs hut quite aS large liberty with respect
10 conditions of ownership and management
Three forms of agreement for establishing The
cable are brought fo their consideration ON"
urnyilrs that IL + 10 be owned by the Govern
mcnt. worked under lis authority. ana kept III
rcpalr by the builder for three years. The sec
ond proposal * that the cable l." owned and
managed hy the builder. who i 10 Perceive
subsidy from The Go'crnmcni for a term ot
wear, and transmit official messages ~ reduced
rates The maximum rates To- be- allowed between
England ana Queensland are three NhIllhIN Il
word Tor ordinary business. iWo for Government
communications and ouo and a half FOR press
DISPATCHES. Compared with th" rhnrs"~ "f ID"
Atlantic cables. This tarln j. remarkably bows. me
third ARRANGEMENT under which III" work may
h. done +, that the contractor huilI ami nam
tain the cable th" Government guaranteeing
To- him a specified revenue from IT,
one uf lhc most prominent promoters ~ th'
Pacific cable f. Mr. Sanford Fleming II" j.
strongly I'm favor Of Government ownership. ANA
hopes 10 sec al the caplc, and land Hines III
Australasia brought under Government control.
arguing thar the result VIII b" better ana
cheaper service for both The STATE aud the pub
Hc Allowing ihrc, years for The completion ~
The work Mr. Fleming calcullic, that Ia lN'N
the European business VIII amount 10 l.lU"""
words which III ,uld bring In gross r'N'illr
of over SIOUOUo The Canadian and American
business would largely swell ihiS amount Est
mating on thr basis of An annual iprr'aNr 81
L., per cent The business between ENr"p' ana
The AuSirdla>ian colonies over the present lahd
and water lines having shown IN Increase "f
II per cent for several years Nlr Fleming
shows that the gross earnings III l'~' VIII De
about ~ ,.'2iU and the surplus SSl2.'Tn. THIS
NAV seem an exaggerated view of The business
Of the cable but Mr. Fleming has shown that
his prophetic figures may be relied ON. In lNN',
m The Colonial Conference he estimated that IN
1876, the European business of III" present Aus
trnllan lines would bc about l.s'0.WD words.
The actual business Of last year Is. according
To- Two different reports. either l%oG1li or
iOl 233 words.
The cost ~ the cable. II Is thought. will not
be- more than SlOOOOOOo once laid. Sij0~o,
or 500 mile 4. to be- allowed each year for
repairs This iS Il large margin. $50 mile
is considered a fair calculation. and one of The
ir ,.piIn rpfuu1upS tNnpuIs only NcD
mile Considerable expense. II Is thought. may
b" saved by The of new devices obviatng
the need of exact knowledge as to the depth of
water at every point. II this can be done. no
further surveys will be- necessary.
This cable will not b" without value to The
United States Il is likely that II will touch NJ
Samoa and Hawaii. where have great in
tercsls Most Americans would Ike 10 have III
rect communication with those islands under
American control. particularly in th" case of la
wai; but Great Iirlain'S vastly greater interests
in Australia and New Zealand makes il almost
inevitable that any Pacific telegraph lines should
be- under her management The business of the
island stations would not warrant lines ter
minaling in them. Their only chance of con
ncciion with the outer world is rs way stations
Tclcgraphc communication between London and
Adelaide. by means Of overland lines TO Port
India and Egyp', have been open since 1872
NcwXraand j. also connected with Australia.
Tha, serious plans should now be making for
II Pacific cable Illustrates once more the con
slstcnt policy of Great Britain TO link together
her colonies and cncirclc the world with her in =
flucncc