![]() The public are therefore doably interested in making this new and enterprising movement a thorough success. If there should be only a 25 per cent, increase in the traffic South Australia wnl have to pay about £6,000 as her share of the indemnLy, but if the increase should be as high as 92 per cent, no pay ment at an will be required. three words being of course the minimum which, can be used unless by special arrangement with some agency. It will now be possible for any one one to send a message to a registered address for 12s. The cheapening of rates will cause the com mercial portion of the community to re cognise this fact to a still greater extent while at the same time it may fairly be expected that the general public - who have hitherto made comparatively little use of the cablegram system - will find out the great advantages of avoiding the tedium of having to wait two or three months for an answer to an enquiry sent to the old country. ![]() The free use of the London cablegram has come to be rscog nised as an essential element of success in all commercial enterprises having relations outside of Australia. ![]() We think on the whole there is good reason for confidence. It will be ex ceedingly interesting to notice what is likely to be the issue of the trial. If the result S^ouM be of % oisconraging nature the Companies and the various Go vernments have given it to be distinctly understood that it will be necessary to revert to a higher rate not exceeding eight shillings per word. The continuance of the new liberal rates for messages will depend entirely upon the support accorded to the telegraphic system during the next twelve months. In the meantime it is important that the general public should bear in mind the tentative nature of the agreement wirch has been entered into. Possibly at some future date the colonies referred to will adopt a more neighbourly policy on this subject. Yet the ungraciousness of two Australasian Governments in such a matter should not be allowed to bar the way to all progres sive movement. It is very much to be regretted that the entente cordiale has been broken by the action of these two colonies in standing out, and perhaps some difficulty will be experienced in preventing persons in other parts of Australasia acting as the medium through which Queensland and New Zealand people can have their telegrams transmitted. These colonies have steadily refused to accept any proportion of the rifik involved, and their people will still be charged the old rates for all messages transmitted through the Adelaide and Xondon telegraph line. The exceptions referred to are, cf course, the Governments of Queensland and. The spirit of mutual concession with which all the parties interested in the matter, with two exceptions, met one another in the nego tiations for the accomplishment of this object is worthy of all praise. Consequently it has been thought that the time has come for a great re duction of rates to be made in the interests of the public, just as, an alteration in, the postal charges las already been effected. The traffic has grown to such very large proportiors that it is now evident that the habit of using the telegraph, cables has become a settled part of the Australian commer cial system, and has indeed taken hold of the people in a great variety of ways. The present income from telegrams transmitted between Aus tralia ard the European and other distant countries amounts to close upon half a million of money annually, and of this the Eastern Extension Company, which owns tita cable starting from Port Darwin, receives about one half. the part of the Govern ments and Telegraph Companies will meet with a corresponding response on the part of the commercial and general publ'c, so that after the lapse of a very moderate time there will be really no loss accruing from the arrangement. Now, however, at one step the authorities have brought the rate down to four shillings per word, and the expectation of course is tbat such a spirit of enterprise on. per word subsequently a small reduc tion was made, and the rate was fixed at 9s. Next October it wnl be nineteen years from the date on which communication by tele graph was first opened up with England, and it must be admitted that during that period a very gratifying change has taken place in the direction of cheapen ing the cost of sending cable mes sages. ![]() The reduc tion in the telegraphic cable rates will begin to-day, so that henceforward the public wDl have the opportunity of send ing messages to the old country at the rate of four shSlings per word.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |