§ MR. HOGANI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received any official confirmation of the report that the Eastern Extension Company has offered to lay a cable from South Africa to Australia; and, if so, whether he is in a position to state the precise terms of the offer.
§ MR. BRODRICK (for Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN)I am informed by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company that they are prepared to provide cable communication between the Cape and Australia 228 without requiring any pecuniary assistance from either the Colonies or Her Majesty's Government, and that they will at once reduce the tariff to 4s. per word between Great Britain and Australia on receiving landing rights for their proposed new cable. I have no information as to the conditions, if any, attached to this offer.