1538 IMPERIAL UNITY [PART VIII
optimism of Mr. Pearce as to extra trade, they feared a heavy
additional loss on the Pacific cable, and a line to Canada
could not receive sufficient business to render it profitable.
On the other hand, the Imperial Government developed
a practical scheme of wireless telegraphy,! including the
construction of a series of high power stations beginning in
England, then in Cyprus, Aden, Bombay, Straits, and
Western Australia, thence to New Zealand by land line and
cable or wireless telegraphy.? This was accepted by
Australia and New Zealand, and welcomed by South Africa
as a preliminary to an extension to that Union via East
or West Africa.
As regards universal penny postage 3 the Imperial Govern-
ment were unable to accept the proposal in its full extent,
as the loss would be very heavy and would not be made up
by the increased number of letters sent, since the expense of
handling long-distance letters and the reply was over 13d.
There was a loss, though a diminishing one, on the penny
inter-Imperial postage, and there was a loss which was being
gradually diminished, and would in thirteen years disappear,
on the penny post to America. Moreover, practically no
foreign country was willing to face the loss, and therefore
only a general resolution in favour of the reduction of
postage could be carried, New Zealand declaring her inten-
tion of continuing her individual efforts at introducing at
least a unilateral penny postage, and Australia ¢ declaring for
reciprocity.
' Cd. 5745, pp. 323-32.
* The existence of wireless telegraphy between Australia and New
Zealand is already assured by the erection of stations with 1250 miles
day radius in New Zealand and Australia, while Fiji is to be connected
with the Solomon Islands, Ocean Island, and the New Hebrides by wireless
telegraphy. The cost of the Straits station was to be divided between
Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, and the details to be settled
by a committee with representatives of either Dominion.
* Ibid, pp. 315-23.
* In Australia penny postage with the Empire dates only from 1911.
