The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-07-24 00:00:00

THE CHANNEL TUNNEL.

ra

• The following is an extract from the report of the directors
of the South-Eastern Railway Company :
' "The experiments made by the French engineers
after great pains and labour tend to show that the
1
eological measures are not only in the same positionut are of the same thickness on each side of the
'. hannel ; and the stratum known as the 'Old Gray
tuhFalrkan'
France is isEinragplaenrvdiouasndtoaswathteer, 'Crab de
wdeithoußout
fiens'.
res. These are the foundation facts in this interest-
ing question; for if a tunnel can be made without
pumping or timbering and entirely, from side to side,
through the gray chalk, then an apparently formidable
and even hopeless work becomes matter of close cal-
culation. As the researches of the French engineers
confirm the view for years past taken on your behalf
—namely, that the proper point of departure for any
future tunnel is at the outcrop of the gray chalk on the
South-Eastern line between Folkestone and )oover,
and not at St. Margaret's Bay to the east of Dover,
where the gray chalk, dipping to the northward, does
not crop out—your directors have deemed it advisable
to make arrangements for a series of important expe-
riments which, so far, have shown favourable results."

The works which are going on at Abott's Cliff
Tunnel between Folkestone and Dover on the South
Eastern Railway, in connection with the sinking of a
shaft for testing the geological formations of the
locality, with a view to the formation of a tunnel
between England and France, were inspected on
Tuesday, and pronounced satisfactory by M. Lon
Say and the French engineers, including- M. Duval,
M. Oreton, and the Count de Montebello. A shaft
ninety feet deep has been sunk from the level of the
engine-house at high water, and a heading has been
driven to the level of high water mark for the pur-
pose of depositing the chalk. Powerful machinery has
been fixed for the purpose of driving an atmospheric
drill, with which it is intended to drive a heading as
far as Dover, a distance of three miles, under the line
o the heading at Dover to be 300 ft. deep. The
„oe
wrnaeY' nts are being carried out under the direction of
Colonel
Beanaont and Captain English. Th 3 South
Eastern
• way Company have made a grant Of
ger,ooo for the purpose.

In London last week 2,418 births and 1,441 deaths
were registered. Allowing for increase of population, the
births exceeded by two, whereas the deaths were 50
below, the average n i umbers n the corresponding week of
the last ten years. The annual death-rate from all causes,
which had slowly increased in the four preceding weeks from
171 to 18.0, per 1,000, further rose to 205. During the
'thirteen weeks of la,st quarter, the metropolitan death.
rate averaged only 1X:144, against 22 11, g2•Er, and 22'5 txi the
cUrrespdedth'g Vesittasti 0* three Varibla. yrart

latllyteen

THE POSTMASTER. GENERAL ON
CHEAP TELEGRAMS.

In London, on Saturday last, a deputation ft= the
Council of the Society of Arts waited upon the post-
mpster- General at the General Pan Office, in support
of a memorial on the subject of inland telegrams.
The memorial, which had previously been submitted
to Mr. Fawcett, stated that the time had now arrived
when the charge on inland telegrams might be reduced,
and a minimum chair of sixpence substituted for the
present one of a shilling. The memorialists submitted
that the charges on inland telegrams in this country
were higher than in other European countries, the
ltes in France, Germl4ny, Belgium, and Switzerland,
all being lower than in England. It was even a
curious anomaly that a telegram could be sent from
-any part of the Unitta Kingdom to Belgium or to
France for less than the smallest sum for which a tele-
gram might be sent from one part of London to
another.

Lord Alfred Churchill (the chairman of the Council
of the Society of Arts), and Mr. E. Chadwick, C. 8.,
supported the prayer of the memorial on behalf of the
deputation, which also included Rear-Admiral Mayne,
C. 8., Admiral Sir F. Nicholson Banks, Mr. G. C.
Barclay, and others.

Mr. Fawcett, in reply, said: Although I should not
like off-hand to incur the responsibility of accepting
some of the very ingenious calculations which have
been put forward lay my friend Mr. Chadwick as to
the gain to be obtained in time and other elements
by a reduction in the price of telegrams, yet I
can assure you, as well as the numerous Chambers
of Commerce throughout the country who have
memorialised me on the subject, that no member
of this deputation could recognise more fully
or more strongly than I do the great advant-
ages which would be afforded the entire com-
munity by a reduction in the price of telegrams
if that were possible, or by the adoption of any other
means which would facilitate internal communication.
In arder to remove a very prevalent misunderstand-
ing, I wish at the outset of my remarks to state with
as much distinctness as possible that, so far as this
department is concerned, there is no objection what-
ever to accept a reduction in the price of telegrams,
if that reduction in the price can be justified on con-
siderations which I will now proceed to explain. In
estimating what ought to be the ,price to be charged
for telegrams I think' we ought to keep steadily in
view these two important principles—if the price
charged for the telegram is not sufficient to make
the telegraphic service commercially remunerative
then the deficit must be made good out of the
general taxation of the country, and the general tax-
payers will be fined in order to enable the senders of
telegrams to transmit them at a lower rate thaa the
market price; and it seems to me that this would be
just as economically indefensible as if you were to im-
pose taxes on the general community in order to give
a grant in aid of wages to a special class of labour er
or if you were to tax the general community in order
to give a bounty to some particular trade, with the
object of causing the commodities produced by that
trade to be obtained at a price less than their cost of
production. OR the other hand, I wish with equal
distinctness to state that if a pricc is charged for a
telegram which is more than sufficient to make the
service commercially remunerative, then the differ-
ence between what would be the price which would
make the telegram remunerative, and the price
which is charged is really so much taxation imposed
i
upon telegrams, just n the same waf as if
the tax-gatherer stood over every sender of the tele-
gram and levied upon him a tax at the moment
the telegram was sent. (Hear, hear.) Thus, for
instance, if it can be proved that Bd. would prove
a remunerative price for. telegrams, and if is. is
charged for a telegram Bd. is paid for the service ren-
dered, the 4d. must be regarded as taxation im-
posed on telegrams. It is obvious that it is not for
this department—or it is not for me, holding the office
which I hold—to express an opinion as to what is the
best way in which the taxation of the country can be
raised, or ought to be raised; whether, for instance, it
is advisable that taxation should be imposed upon the
internal communication of the country. These aae
pqauretsmtioennt, b
s whuitchbymuthste bcehdetermined,
the
et
Ebxyehtheicisudeir,-
ant' by the Government generally. But starting
from the principles I have just laid down, I think
it is important to keep them steadily in view,
because it seems to me that those principles are
the ones that must chiefly determine what is the
price that ought to be charged for a telegram.
Of course every one of us would like to have
the price of telegrams reduced; but, after all;
the question must be determined, not by our wishes
but by financial considerations, and these considera-
tions I will endeavour to lay before you with as much
brevity and with as much distinctness as possible:
The telegraph revenue at the present time is an im-
portant one, and it is an important one in the bes,
sense of the word, because I find that not only are the
gross receipts increasing, but the net receipts are in-
creasing in a much more rapid ratio. Mr. Fawcett
then referred to the receipts and expenditure of the
telegraph department, and quoted figures showing
that in four years the Profit had increased from
£197,000 to £450,000. The right hon. gentleman
proceeded :—Having, I hope, clearly laid these finan-
cial results before you, I will proceed to consider
what would be the best method of reducing the
price of telegrams if it is decided that there should be
such a reduction, and then I will . proceed to lay
before you what would be the probable result of
a suggested reduction in the price of telegrams. The
plan which has been suggested, and the, one which I
would recommend, is a modification of the word-rate.
I should propose, for instance, that a halfpenny a
word should be charged; that the minimum charge
which should be allowed should be 6d., consequently a
telegram of twelve words, including the address, could
be sent for 6d. ; and that a halfpenny a word should
be charged for every word above 6d. (Hear, hear.)!
Now, it seems to me that there are several advantages;
in adopting this particular mode of charging. In the first;
place it would prevent the waste of the present system.l
It is perfectly notorious that, in a great majority of
telegrams which are sent, a great number of unneces- •
sary words are often put both in the address and in the
body of the telegram. (Hear, hear.) Consequently, if
this word-rate system were adopted, I believe that,
without in the slightest degree diminishing the in-
telligibility of the telegram, they could in almost t
every instance—certainly in the majority of instances
—reduce the number of words. Then there is another ,
advantage—a person would be charged more in pro- ,
portion to the amount of the work the State did '
for him, because at the present time there is this '
anomaly: If a man sends a telegram containing a
single word with a very short address he is charged
just the same as for a telegram containing eleven or
twelve words in the address and twenty in the body
of the telegram; and this always carries with it an
appearance of unfairness and injustice which such a
word-rate as that which I have suggested would to a
great extent remove. (Hear, hear.) Then, if this
word-rate were adopted, another most glaring
anomaly would be got rid of. You are perhaps
aware that at the present time the word-rate to Bel-
gium is twopence, to France twopence halfpenny—
and a suggestion has been made, which I hope will be
carried out, viz., that the word-rate to France will
be reduced to twopence—(hear, hear)—and the word-
rate to Germany is threepence. This being the case,
it is possible to send a telegram •to Belgium, France,
nay, even to Germany, for the same cost—and even
sometimes for a less cost than you can send a telegram
from one point of Lond!on to another. (Hear, hear.)
That is an anomaly which the suggestion which I have
made, if it were carried out, would remove, and I
believe to the entire sattsfaction of the public. (Hear,
hear.) Now, there has oeen a suggestion made, and
I think it is well to refer to it, because I have often
i
seen it discussed n the public prints—that you should
have two rates of charges for telegrams—that you
should have deferred telegrams, which should be
charged at a cheaper.rate. For instance, when you go
to a telegraph office in the City those persons paying a
shilling should hive their telegrams sent at once, but
those who paid sixpence should have theirs despatched
after the shilling ones were all sent. I never would
sanction such a scheme as that. (I-lear, hear.) It
seems to me to have attached to it the fatal blemish
that it would always impress the public with unfair-
ness, and every single person who did not get a tele-
gram so soon as he expected would think the delay
was owing to a preference shown to some favoured in-
dividual. It seems to me to be a principle of cardinal
importance to maintain that there should be no dis-
tinction of persons—no distinction with regard to
preference; but that the very first person who gets
into the telegraph office should have his message sent
first. (Hear, hear.) If any departure is made from
this principle I am afraid that all confidence in the
fairness of the telegraph service would be at
once removed. (Hear, hear.) And now having
stated the argument in favour of the particular
method of the reduction of charge which I have
suggested, I have next to direct your attention to the
very important question as to what would be the
financial effect—for' this really is a financial question—
of adopting what I will now briefly call a 6d. tele-
gram—understanding by that expression a 6d. tele-
gram with the modifications I have described. I will
give you briefly the result of Mr. Patey's calculations.
He estimates that if the 6d. rate had been adopted at
the beginning of the present financial year the in-
crease in the business which it would have brought,
and the increasing staff which it would have necessi-
tated, would have increased our working expenses by
£50,000. He estimates that the loss of revenue on a
total of £1,400,000 would have been £112,000 ; he
estimates that during the present year
.an additional
capital expenditure for new wires, and, in some cases,
or new offices, or for increased office accommodation,
would have been required of £lOO,OOO. Treating this
£100,040 as capital, and supposing we paid it off at a
certain period by a sinking fund, I will consider that
it represents an annual charge of £5,000. We there-
fore have this result-50,000 for increased working
expenses, £112,000 for loss of revenue, £5.000
as interest on extra capital, being a total
of £167,000, which would represent the esti-
mated cost of introducing a 6d. word telegram during
the present financial year. So far as lam at present
advised, I would rather wait a little longer—a year or
two—aad have the thing done completely than have
it done, as it were, in this partial and spasmodic
manner. (Hear, hear.) I think I have said enough
to show you that the question of the reduction of the
price of telegrams is, after all, a financial one, which
cannot be determined by me or by this department, but
is one which must be determined by the Chancellor
of the Exchequer and the Government generally.
If it should be decided that the country is
in a position to afford the sacrifice of revenue
of £l67,ooo—which is the sacrifice we estimate would
be involved in the reduction to a 6d. rate—then I
should say, if it should be decided that the country
could bear this sacrifice of revenue, that not a word of
opposition would be offered from this
.department.
(Hear, hear.) We should accept the decision, and we
should endeavour as far as possible to make a 6d.
telegram work as efficiently as the is. telegrams
have done up to the present time.
The deputation, having thanked Mr. Fawcett for
his courtesy, retired.

The Times, in a leader remarking Imon Mr. Fawcett's
speech, Says:—" The profits of the Post Office are a parthof
the general revenue of the country. They cannot, Livros.-
fore, be touched withert the consent of t e Government
and of that stern functionary, the Ckancel ,Er of the Ex-
chdquer. lithe country ie hliLI Vo lie in a ODitioli tb give

up the needful amount of revenue, the telegram charges may
be lowered to the propgsgl sixpenny minhiaum, Mr. Fawcett
can only say that he APIS, for his part, no objection to the
change, and that he thinks it may he so contrived
as to involve a diminution of income indeed, but no actual
loss to the department, There are many reasons to be
urged against the pres Alt system of telegram charges.
They are so high as to be, we cahnot say prohibitive—Mr.
Fawcett's figures disprove this clearly enough—but at least
unduly discouraging. The effect has been that the telegraph
has not yet come into sufficiently general use in this country.
Business men use it very largely, and so do sporting
men for their form of business. . . . . A reduction of
charges need not, it is true, involve anything approaching
to a corresponding actual loss. If the reduced charge is still
remunerative, the increase of business may ha so great that
there will oe no falling off in the next returns. There may
even, as the penny postal system shows, be an enormous
gain in the end, but there will seldom be an imme-
diate gain. The loss is certain, and time is needed to
make up for it. People's habits must change. They must
realize what has been done for them; they must learn to
take advantage of the cheaper service offered them, and
these lessons are not to be learned in a day."

The Daily Telegraph does not think it clear that in esti-
mating the less consequent on the intr9duction of the six-
penny rate the officials have allowed for the increase in
profit that must come from au increase in business. "The
adoption of the penny postage was, as Mr. Fawcett aptly
reminds us, at first followed by a diminution of revenue.
But we all know that, once it was set fairly to work it soon
brought to the Government a handsome returp. What
however, would have been the condition of things now if the
world had refused to avail itself of a penny rate of postage,
because by doing so it would have to submit for the first year
or so to a small loss of revenue? In that case, we should never
have benefited by Sir Rowland ideas at all. Yet does
not the same reasoning apply to the official objection to six-
penny telegraphy? At first it will, we are told, reduce the
revenue of the State by £167,000, and therefore we must not
adopt it. As, however, it will at any time involve some loss
of revenue at the outset, if the proposition that we must not
try to get sixpenny telegrams until they will bring in a
profit be accepted, it follows that we must never try to get
them at all. The fact is, Mr. Fawcett's statement, by
making plain the precise loss to revenue on the official
estimate which will ensue from the cheapening of telegrams,
has had this good result—it demonstrates the futility of
maintaining any longer the present expensive rate." .

A SUGGESTION RESPECTING THE
CENSUS.
1 The Times has published the following letter :
Sir,—l sincerely hope that the House of Commons
will insert a clause in the Census Bill ordering an in-
quiry into the blood relationship between parents.

What is the objection? Ten years ago the oppor-
tunity was allowed to slip by on the ground that such
' a question would merely "gratify the curiosity of
speculative philosophers ;" "that it would inflict
every species of mental torture ;" that such an inquiry
must necessarily include an inquiry into marriages
with deceased wives' sisters; that alone the informa-
tion would be useless; and that marriages between
cousins would be "stigmatized by Parliament" were
such an inquiry to find a place.
Now, since there is nothing to be ashamed of in
such marriages, of which there are probably about
97,000 at present subsisting in England and Wales,
and about double that number between other than
first cousins, I fail to see why any one could object to
answer; and did we know actually how many such
marriages occur, we should, from other data, be able
pretty certainly to ascertain whether these marriages
are really so harmful as alleged. It is impossible
for such an inquiry to throw a stigma on these unions,
since -the stigma already rests on them, and could
only be removed when it is shown, for instance,
that the proportion between marriages of relations and
deaf-mutes, the offspring of such marriages (which are
returned in the Irish Census), is the same as that be-
tween non-consanguineous marriages and their
diseased offspring. The question of marriages of
affinity has nothing to do with this. The former is a
legal question merely; the latter has nothing to do
with law and is entirely scientific.

Surely it is of the -last importance, both for the
health of the community 9. n d the happiness of very-
many persons who are now debarred marriage by pre-
judiced parents, that the question should be settled,
once and for ever.—Obediently yours,
" ALFRED H. HUTH.

17 Kensington-square, July 13.