The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-22
PACIFIC CABLE
ABOUT TO BE LAID
Austria. ian Press Against An
other Beng Given a
Franchise. n

An editorial in United Australia" for
October has the following to say con-
corning the Pacific cable:
/ we went to come trouble, just prior to
the issue of the July number of this mag
azine, to obtain from the most trust
worthy authorities the salient facts in
the history of the Pacific cable movement;
with the result that We were able to lay
before our readers succinct statement
of the many vicissitudes-political and
commercIal-through which that enter
prise has passed. We took particular
care to point out how near to abandon
mental least, for many years TO come
the movement had gone, in consequence
lot the singular want of consideration, on
the part of the Postmasters General OF
New South Wales and Victoria, for the
interests of those other parties to the
joint venture-Great Britain and Canada
IN actually negotiating with the East
ern Extension Company for the estab-
lishment of a competing line.
All sensible business men, of course, IA
vor competition; but they do not as a
rule go out of their way to foster compe-
tition with their own enterprises Nor
do they, if they are honorable men, de-
liberately foster competition with an en-
terprse in which they have induced
friends, on grounds of mutual trust and
goodwill to take substantial risk. This
was, we pointed out, the position in ae-
gard to the Pacific cable. England has
been induced to agree to contribute
G. 1Sths and Canada 4-1Sths of the whole
cost; England's share being within 2-1Sths
lof that of the whole of Australia.
When it became known in England that
these two ministerial novices Postmas-
tiers General OF New South Wales and
IVictoria) were actually negotiating with
the representative of the Eastern Exten-
ls.on Company, with a view to giving that
company special facilities for landing and
delivering messages, the British Govern
ment naturally protested, and the '..nego-
tiations" ceased. We now hear that the
work of laying the cable will be almost
Immediately begun; but the announce
ment has no sooner been made than we
hear that the Postmasters General of New
South Wales and Victoria are again con-
templating, if not actually conducting
negotiations with the Eastern Extension
Company, as before, for it's competing
line; and the political conscience of these
ministers seems to be so blunted-or nor.
mally blunt-that they see nothing repre-
hensible-nothing in the nature of q
breach of political or diplomatic faith
in re-opening these negotiations immedi
ately after the parties are all committed
t, their several obligations in the joint
enterprise of the cable.
We can only hope that this extraordi
nary attitude; this persistent determine
| ton to follow their own questionable
course in the teeth Of tehir political obi
cations, will reach the ears CT the Colo
NAL Office and OF the Canadian Govern
ment, and SO lead to the demand for
specific stipulation on the part of thes,
two colonies, that they will not, now OF
hereafter, grant any concessions to the
ccmpeting company, and SO render less
profitable the joint venture. without frs
obtaining the consent Of alls the partie.
who have been induced to join In the
venture.