The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-23


IT. effect OF wireless telegraphy on
the future OF the submarine cable
vas developed TO some extent today
by the House Committee on Commerce
in connection with the hearing on the
proposed Pacific cable. The hearing
was largely attended. President
Ward Of the Pacific Gable Company
continuing hia statement of yesterday.
He said ne believed that the company
ne represented would be able to make
exclusive traffic arrangements from
points beyond the Philippines and con-
Meeting with China and Japan. He
maintained THAI while there was no
purpose to set up a monopoly. yet IL
was likely his company would have ex-
elusive traffic arrangements with the
Far East. He also stated that there
would be questions as to the right of
the United States to land a cable on
foreign shores
Representative Stewart OF New Jer-
sey interposed the statement that Ger
many's present course against yene-
zuela showed that the German govern
ment made little distinction between
public and private rights; SO that a
government cable station would have
about the same status as a private sta
ton.
Chairman Hepburn asked series of
questions as 10 the effect OF wireless
telegraphy on the submarine cable.
Ward replied that the new system pre-
sented serious question. He was not
sure that the Pacific cable project
would have been undertaken If the
long-distance experiments had been
held earlier. AS TO the claims that f,
wireless signals had been conveyed 1000
miles across the Atlantic. Ward said
that if the claims We're made good they
would deter people from laying any
more cables.
When asked as TO the effect thus far ,
on the cable business. Ward said it had
depressed cable interests.
Stewart wanted 10 know If the cable
companies had not chased Marconi out
OF Canada to which Ward answered
that he believed the cable companies
had insisted upon certain exclusive
rights which they held.
James Foord stated that the Asiatic
doing business in the
Orient, favored a cable under private
control. 1t was opposed to the govern ,
meut entering the field of private en- !,
terprise. President Scrymser of the {
South and Central American cable sys- !
tenn made an argument favorable to 5
government control of the Pacific ca !
Die, citing incidents of the Spanish d
american war, showing the Importance .
II governmental control of the cable.
IN one case cited the Spanish Minister t
cave Santiago. If this dispatch had
iot been intercepted Mr.. Scrymser i
aid, the battle of Santiago Bay would g
Tot have been fought, and the conduct a
Il the war might have been changed. :
Thomas E. Hughes. representing an p
american company which produces ca 1
lies. said that as good cables could be
made in the United States as in any d
ther part of the world. and he asked a
hat American labor and capital have r
he advantage of doing this work. J :,
Chairman Hepburn asked If this a
american company was prepared to b
make a definite business proposition TO p
he United States government. Hughes =
ep!ied that such a proposition would "
e submitted in due form within the d
ext two days. -
Hepburn asked that the formal prop :,
sition be I'm alternative form-first, for o,
eIivering a cable OF American make h
t San Francisco; second. for making \
I'd laying the cable to Hawaii. Guam :,
nd Manila. Hughes thought the gov o.
better able to do its own cable r.
lying, using the army transports As ~
,dicatins the general character OF the n
proposition. Hughes said OF
no cost would be within 10 per cent "
z that stated as the cost OF the Com q
,erciaI Pacific company's cable. The q,
dditionaI 10 per cent, he stated, was m
n the protection of American indus II
~ Francis L. Thurber, president of =,