| Show t M M M M M M M I M t M MM M M M 1 M 1 M M M M M f THE PACIFIC CABLE Considering Consid ring that the trend of public opinion is in the tile direction of Government ownership of national na nn nu- nu utilities the strenuous fight which Representative Represent tati e Corliss of Michigan is conducting d ing in n Congress Con Congress Congress Con Con- gress for a Government Pacific cable is a matter of universal interest to the American people Some of the arguments which Mr Ir Corliss Corlis is js driving home as he presents his case from time to time ime in the louse House are of a nature that will m snake make ke keit it difficult lt for tor or the private interests appl applying ing for the cable fraI franchise lilse se to meet them successfully In his report re report report port oi ad on fhe the Pacific Cable bill he gives facts an and figures which are well worth worthy of attention For POL j instance he lie states that General Greely Gieely Chief of the Si Signal nal Service Corps of the army estimates the cost of Of he the cable at ten million dollars This sum 1 includes construction ships and aud their maintenance the establishment of cable stations on intermediary islands and every other outlay necessary to install the line ready for operation I In support of his plea for ownership ownership ownership owner owner- ship and control Mr 11 Corliss liss asserts that for fifty years England has been buying cables and now owns and operates lines valued at over one hundred I million dollars The same Power he lie says sas is now constructing a cable from Vancouver to New Zealand Zealand Zealand Zea Zea- land which will be the first to cross the Pacific I The report t declares that it would be nothing short of an American disgrace if America is to be the chief chef commercial i cial nation on the Pacific and should h have v he official jal and mercantile communication in inthe the J hands s of f En England land and private te monopolists Mr Corliss states that the British government purposes purpose purposes charging halg ng fifty cents a word for cable communication communication com corn between Canada and Australia while the tl e projectors pl rs of the private American monopoly purposes s' s charging h a tariff of fifty cents a a. word be be- twe tw en San Francisco and Honolulu one-fourth one the I distance The American intending concessionaires if granted the monopoly he asserts intend to charge between the Pacific coast and Manila three times the rate that the he British government will charge between Canada and Austra Australia ia We Ye have hate no present means of knowing what maybe Mr Ir Corliss' Corliss chances for success in his undertaking undertaking un un- un- un but it must be said that the arguments he is using are making a deep impression on the country Whether or 01 not they are on Congress also the event n will ill show |
