The evening times., 1900-01-25

A number of bills have been introduced
during the present session Of Congress, re-
ferring to the construction Of trans
Pacific cable. These bills may be divided
into classes as follows:
The first class consists of bills similar
to that introduced in the Senate by Mr..
Mcmillan. and in the House by Mr.. Cor
liss which provides for the appointment
of Pacafic cable commission TO consist
of five members. which commission is au-
thorized to build a cable. which when built
is TO remain under the control of the cable
commission until Congress otherwise pro-
vides. The acts appropriate 100000 at
once, and authorize the cable commission
to make contracts not TO exceed 81. GOO 000
TO be hereafter appropriated.
Another bill looking toward the con-
struction Of the cable by the Government
is that introduced by Senator Hale, which
provides for the construction of the cable
under the supervision Of the Secretary Of
the Navy, appropriates the sum of $ll,-
100000 for the work. and provides that
when the cable is built the operation and
control thereof shall be transferred TO the
Postmaster General
The second class OF bills provides for
the construction of the cable by private en-
Uerprise, without risk or expense TO the
Government. OF this class are the bills
introduced in the Senate by Mr.. Lodge
and in the House by Mr. Sherman. which
are identical. and provide for the making
Of a contract by the United States Govern
ment with a private corporation. as the re-
suit OF a public advertising for two
months, which corporation, under proper
guarantee is. at its own expense 10 es-
tablish a trans Pacific cable touching at
Honolulu. Guam. and Manila, with a
branch from Guam to Japan. The said act
providing that the company making the
lowest bid for the establishment Of this
line-that is. not over S400 600 a year for
twenty years-is during such period to
carry Government messages free over the
said system, and also 10 Hongkong and
Shanghai. and providing, further. thar af-
Ter the expiration of twenty years Gov
eminent messages shall forever thereafter
be carried at one-half the rate charged to
The public.
These bills further provide for the es-
tablishment of a duplicate line of cable
between the places above named or the
eStdbllSnlDenJ OF a duplicate service by
means of traffic agreements with existing
lines, having the same effect as a dupli-
cate cable. The amount paid by the Gov
ernment-that is not 10 exceed $500 900
per year-is 10 be kept by the company as
a reserve fund TO be used only for repairs
and renewals, no part TO be used for divi-
dends, and annual sworn statements of
the condition of this reserve fund are 10
be made TO the Government The rates
are TO be % cents to Honolulu and 81 TO
Manila Japan, Hongkong, and Shanghai
that is. less than half the existing rates
The question which Congress is TO decide
is which of these two plans to adopt
whether il is better for the Government
to lay, own and maintain a cable. or 10
obtain the same or better service from a
private corporation, without risk 10 the
The successful operation CT any ocean
cable system requires the use of a land
system covering the territory at each of
its eXtremities II not actually in combi-
nation with these land systems, some mu- /
tual and very close business arrangement 1
must be effected. In the Atlantic Ocean /
cable system rival corporations each act /
ually own its cooperating land system in |
The United States. The equitable routing of /
traffic and division of tariffs between the 4
different corporations concerned are diff /
cult and complex. If. then. the proposed 1
Pacific cable is operated by a private cor 1
poration ii is plain, so il is argued, that |
the more or less close combination with !
land corporations will necessa- /
rily result as in the past and will operate |
10 enlarge and perpetuate rather than /