The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-09-06
ALL RED" CABLE
Objections to Honolulu
Route.
Interesting Article from Sydney
ExCharge-AIl British Route
is Preferred.

IAdSI saturday reputation TO lmpe-
rial Ministers on the Pacific cable
question emphasized a new aspect of
this subject, says the Sydney Tele-
graph of July Sth. The Eastern COM
| panies are now willing, if the home
and colonial Governments must willy
nilly have a Pacific cable, to lay line
| on that route if they are guaranteed
21a per cent on the stock of a new
company to be formed to take over
the business of the associated (East-
ern Telegraph and Eastern Extension
Telegraph companies at their present
market values. In other words, the
deputation proposed, on behalf of the
| two companies it represented, to pool
and bull Anglo-colonial cable stock,
with the aid of the Imperial Govern
| ment. For stock guaranteed by the
British Government to yield 21a per
cent would, Of course, be as good as
Consols. Money would be freely in
vested in such a safe, well-backed con-
Germ as that. On similar terms, COM
panies could easily be formed to pro-
mote perpetual motion, discover the
art of making diamonds, or find the
North Pole. With such guarantee as
the British Government can give, in
deed, there is practically no limit to
the possibility of enticing spectators;
for, given that guarantee, they, to use
a sporting phrase, comfortably stand
they must win.
What is asked is that the British
and colonial Governments should
guarantee interest on the stock of an
associated company which will lay a
Pacific cable via Honolulu out of the
reserves it has accumulated. There
are two strong objections to the
scheme. In the first place, the cable,
touching at Honolulu, would not be
all British, and would, therefore, de-
feat the prime ambition of its pro-
moters The Eastern companies
doubtless reckon on getting a con-
tract to lay a cable between the
United States and it's newly acquired
Hawaii, and SO killing two profitable
birds with one stone. In the second
place, the Governments are asked to
saddle themselves with the response
bility of seeing that new company
pays interest on about 4l5,OOO,Ooo
worth of stock The Imperial Minis
tiers interviewed wisely declined to en-
terrain any such proposals. AS Mr..
Chamberlain explained, the Honolulu
route is Objectionable for the reason
already mentioned, namely, that 1t in
wolves landing on foreign territory;
and however pleasant our present re-
lations with the Americans may be, 1t
is to be remembered that they are for
eigners whose interests may at any
moment become antagOnistic to those
of Britain Another Cleveland may
at any time set the two nations by the
ears over some incOnSiderable trlf1e in
dispute. AS for the proposal tosadopt
an Australia-Cape route, that is not
popular with the Australian Govern
ments, and it would have the further
disadvantage of ignoring Canada. Inc
route that will best suit the colonies
generally is the all-British one mapped
out a few years agO-Or one very much |
like it. This line would connect Eng
land, Australia, Fiji, Norfolk Island,
Tanning Island and Canada (also, II
necessary New ZealanO, and, there |
The cost of constructing it would be
between a million and a quarter and
two millions It's earnings have. been |
variously estimated, but that is a mere |
matter of speculation, though the East |
ern companies are ready with calcu-
lation that there will be a loss OF |
6 200, 900 annually on an assumed tar
iff of about eighteen pence per word !,
less than they now charge. However, !
beforehand reckonings like these are
unsafe. The tariff has not been fixed. |
And it is highly probable that in
creased traffic over the new line would |
help to make it pay, even at lower |
rates than those now charged.
An interesting phase of the discus
sion of this subject is indicated by |
Lord Tweeddale's suggested objection
to State-owned cables, to the State en-
tering into competition with private |
enterprise. A large question was thus |
limited at inappositely. Affairs of this |
sort, where surety of communication |
is aimed at, are as essentially Govern |
mental affairs as the preservation OF
a safe link with supply-base is in time |
of war. The Pacific cable may be laid |
and worked at monetary loss; but |
what does that sunken money count
for against the great gain incidental
to having cable connecting London |
with Sydney and Ottawa in war time, |
Independent Of foreign influence? The
existing lines touch many foreign |
countries, and that circumstance is
disquieting, despite the fact that cable |
messages are said to be regarded as
neutral, for a combating power may |
cut and tap cable at any time. An
ALFRED cable would relieve the Brit
ish of any such liability. National ne
cessity, therefore, overrides in this i
connection whatever claim may be i
made against the State by private en-
terprise. The question of the proper /
extent of legitimate Government func-
lions and their encroachment on pri-
vate business does not arise. The East
ern companies have no guarantees, and
no bond to be broken. Even if we had
the Pacific cable is palpable necessi-
ty, and will have to be State-owned in