CO885-(6-7) — Page 422

427

p. 340 of C.-7553.

See e.g., p. 107 of C.-7553.

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ARGUMENTS AGAINST.

(I.).—It would not be fair to the existing private companies for the combined Governments to The Eastern Companies established the original take up the scheme in competition with them. connexion without any Government subsidies, and have only received such assistance for improve. ments in the connexion.

Great Britain has never given a subsidy except where the line would have very special strategical value.

(II.) The Eastern lines are duplicated or triplicated throughout; the proposed Pacific cable would, if single, be untrustworthy, as breakages or interruptions will occur at times, and the difficulty of repairing would, if the breakage were in the long spans, be so great that a consider- able time, perhaps soine months, would be occupied on such occasions. During these periods the line would be useless, as the long spans could not be "bridged" over by steamer, as is done on the Eastern lines.

If, on the other hand, the line were duplicated, the estimates of the financial prospects which have been made by its supporters would be inapplicable.

(III.) The cost of renewal ("amortisation ") would be so great as to render heavy subsidies necessary. It must be estimated that the life of a deep-sea cable is 20 years, and a fund must therefore be provided for the renewal of the cables by that period. This means 5 per cent. of the cost, whereas Mr. Sandford Fleming only allows 2 per cent.

(IV.) A much larger sum than has been contemplated for capital cost must be allowed for a fair working speed over the long sections.

(V.) The difference which reduced rates make on the revenue of a cable has been much exaggerated. The Government, the press, and merchants put down an estimate of their necessary telegraphic business, and will not materially increase such business because the rates are lowered.

(VI.) The engineering difficulties are very great, and, the conditions from this point of view have not been ascertained. No survey of the section between Vancouver and Fanning Island has been made, and if the cable is laid without such a survey it would not be laid evenly, but would here and there hang between eminences so far apart that the tension of its own weight would eventually cause a breakage. In depths approaching 4,000 fathoms it would be difficult to raise the line In some parts of the route volcanic distur without further breakages on account of its weight. bances in the bed of the sea are to be apprehended, and the coral formation and general character of the mid-way islands make them dangerous landing stages.

NOTE. The flexibility ("mou ") of a cable is usually put at 10 to 12 per cent. NOTE. 450 kilogrammes in air=160 in sea water.

A very light cable could be manufactured which would bear 12 miles of its weight in the sex, bot, apart from the question of speed, &c. this would not be heavy enough to descend to the bottom.

A fairly heavy cable should be buoyed in sections as lifted.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO