Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/274

 and by the Hon. R. Lemieux were of such a character as to render it certain that the Colonies were fully determined to secure the benefits which cheap telegraphy would confer.

A resolution was proposed by the Duke of Argyll and seconded by Lord Milner:

"That this meeting, convinced of the desirability and necessity to manifold imperial interests of a system of low priced, easy, uniform means of telegraph connexion within the Empire, pledges itself to support the efforts of the Cable Committee of Members of Parliament with that supreme object in view."

If H. H. hoped that an immediate reduction of all cable rates would follow, such hopes were doomed to disappointment. Very carefully, very slowly, minor concessions were granted, such as a halfpenny-a-word reduction in rates for telegrams to thirteen countries in the European system.

An impetus was given to the movement for cheap cabling by a highly instructive paper read before the Royal Colonial Institute, by Mr Charles Bright, F.R.S.E., M.Inst.C.E., M.I.E.E. "It has always seemed to me," he said, "that a great advance would be made in our inter-imperial communications if an all-round imperial cable tariff—say, of 1s., 9d., or even 6d.—could be put into operation."

A pronouncement from such an authority carried considerable weight among even the most sceptical. Mr Bright's name will always be associated with every victorious step in the direction of cheapening imperial communications.

The year 1909 was memorable for the first Imperial Press Conference held in London. The Conference