The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-12-06
PACIFIC CABLE PROJECTS.

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PACIFIC CABLE PROJECTS.
Omaha Bee: T~elegraphic commun-
ication between the Pacific coast and
our insular possessions in the Hawai-
ian and Philippine islands has be-
come imperative. Direct communica-
ton with Honolulu and Manila has be-
come a military and commercial ne
cessity.
Several measures embodying Pacific
cable projects have been prepared and
will be pushed vigorously through the
present congress. One of these, by
Representative Corliss of Michigan,
will provide for government construc-
ton and ownership. Another, by Rep
resentative Sherman of New York,
will authorize the postmaster general
to enter into a contract with a Corpora
ton for the construction of a cable
which will grant the government GER
tain concessions in the way of tolls
and control in time of war. The
friends of the Pacific Commercial
Gable company, which recently let a
contract for the construction of a
cable from San Francisco to Honolulu,
will also press a bill granting that
company landing privileges on our Pa
cific islands. 1t will be borne in mind
that only a few months ago the Com
mercial Gable company secured an or
der from the president granting it the
right to establish permanent stations
for a Pacific cable near San Francisco
and at Honolulu and Manila. This re-
quest, however, was politely, but firm
ly declined, because it was regarded
as equivalent to the granting of a
franchise and eventually the establish
ment Of a cable monopoly. The pres
ident very wisely deemed it proper to
leave to congress the decision as to
whether or not Pacific cable franchises
should be given to private corpora
tons under any conditions.
The irrepressible conflict in con-
gress will be between government
ownership and private monopoly.
While the sentiment of the American
people is overwhelmingly in favor of
government ownership and control of
all Geographic communication be-
tween the Pacific coast and our new
possessions it is exceedingly doubtful
whether the congressional committees
will be able to withstand the pressure
which the promoters of the CONNER
| cial Gable company will exert during
the session.
The enormous sums which the gov
eminent has already paid in the shape
of cable tolls for carrying on the nee
essary military correspondence with
the Philippines would have more than
paid for a cable from San Francisco
to Honolulu and there is very little
doubt that the government could re-
coup itself for the cost of the Pacific
cable from San Francisco to the Phil
ippine islands within the next 20 years
from the tolls on commercial dis
patches, leaving out Of consideration
the advantage that would accrue to
the government through direct owner
ship and constant control of the AFTER
les OF communication. In view of the
fact also that the government has ef-
fected cable connection between the
principal islands in the Philippines
and now operates those cables direct
through military t~elegraphers, who
also transmit all commercial dis
patches between the islands, the eff
cient and economic operation of gov
eminent ownership can scarce be cali
ed in question.
1t goes without saying that the cap
talists who are vikings to invest in
the Pacific cable project are not ven
turing into the scheme blindly or with
out reasonable assurance of handsome
returns On the investment. They
know, moreover, that the Pacific cable
from San Francisco to Manila will
completely reveolutionize Oriental tel
| egraphic communication by transfer
| ring practically the whole of the Ash
attic commercial and news service,
now transmitted by way of Hong Kong
and India, to San Francisco by way of
Manila, so that in the no distant future
San Francisco will be the great repeat
ing station Of all the Oriental tele-
| graphic service, because the Pacific