The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-02-10
Argument 10 Chamberlain By San.
ford FLEMING.
Is AGAINST PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
Plans Tor imperial Llnes-in the
Pacific - Not to Touch
Hawaii - Rates.


associated with the organization and
advocacy Of the most practical scheme
yet advanced for the Construct ion of
the Pacific cable, has addressed a com
munication to Mr.. Chamberlain urging
the adoption Of system of state
owned cables for the Empire.
Sir Sanford Fleming instances in
support of his argument the success
which has attended the change from
q telegraph service managed by pri-
vate companies TO telegraph service
owned by the state and administered
under the post Office department. Be
fore the transfer complaints were fire.
quent and well founded as to the in
efficiency of the telegraph service, ana
the business done was much restricted
After the transfer and the reorganiz-
alton OF the service by which II was
accompanied the public gained the ad-
vantage OF cheap messages, and bust
ness developed to such an extent that
receipts progressively increased. Be
fore the transfer, which took place in
1870. the cost of sending message
from London to Scotland or Ireland
was about 6s That this cost should
have been reduced to Cd without loss
90 the taxpayer Sir Sanford Fleming
attributes entirely TO the system OF
managing the telegraph lines as pub
lie service. He further instances the
example of European countries in
which the same system has been sue
cessfuly adopted, and draws the con-
clusion that the application of the prin-
ciple of state ownership on "A larger
scale to the cable system OF the En-
pire has now become desirable and eX-
pedient.
We can as yet the points OUT but
family appreciate the extent TO which
the telegraph may be employed, be-
cause its use heretofore has been re-
stricted on long-distance messages by
almost prohibitory charges. II mes
sages be exchanged between places not
far apart, let us say between London
and Edinburgh, or Toronto and Mon
treal the gain in time by the use OF
the telegraph is considerable. But II
the points of connection be far sapar-
ated such as London and Melbourne,
or Ottawa and Cape Town, the COM
parison between postal and telegraph
service brings out the distinct value of
the latter. In the cases last mentioned,
while 1t would require the lapse Of
eigth or ten weeks to obtain an answer
to a letter by post IL the telegraph be
employed reply may be returned next
day, or even the same day.
Existing long-distance cables are lit
tie used by the general public; 1t may
be said not at all except in emergen-
cies. They are used in connection with
commerce. the growing need of which
demand more and more the employ
ment OF the telegraph, but owing to
the high charges exacted its use is
limMad to business which would suffer
by delay The cables are in the hands
OF private companies striving chiefly
TO earn large dividends. and who adopt
the policy OF charging high rates, In
consequence Of which trade and COM
merce Is unduly taxed and its free de-
yelopment retarded. Were the cables
owned by the state large profits would
not be the main object, and, precisely
as in the case OF the land lines OF the
United Kingdom II would be possible
to reduce charges so as to remove re
strietions on trade and bring the SER
vice within reach of many now de-
barred from using it.
When the government assumed con-
troll OF the island telegraph OF the Unit
ed Kingdom 1t was found possible
greatly to reduce charges. In 1863, the
year before the transfer, less than
seven million messages were carried
At the transfer the rate was reduced
to Is per message; the traffic immedi-
ately Increased nearly so per cent, and
continued increasing until in the tenth
year, twenty-nine million messages
revenue over expenditure Of 1854 900
In another decade the total annual
business equalled ninety-four millions
the operations still resulting In sur
plus OF e25l. SOC. although the charge
for a message had been meanwhile re-
duced from one shilling to sixpence.
1t is indisputable that high charges re-
strict the utility Of sea cables as well as
Of land lines, while low charges have
the opposite effect. A few years ago
the tariff OF charges between Australia
and London was 9s Al per word. The
proposal to establish the Pacific cable
and the discussion which followed led
to the cheapening OF the rate to As Sd
per word, In 1890, the year before the
rates were lowered, the gross bushes.
consisted OF s27.27s words. Last yea
(ls9T it had increased TO 2,349,sO,
words. In 1890, with high charges