The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-12 00:00:00

fEtE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 12, 1870.

formed by the "Deputy-Master, and they therefore
propose to place the establishment under the direct
control of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUE;
who will in future act as the Master. Indeed,
strictly speaking, the Mastership is not abolished
at all, but only "merged "in Mr. LowE. This pro-
ceeding, together with other little manipulations,
will give the country £3,500. The change, such as
it is, is quite unexceptionable, for the principle of
maintaining useless offices cannot be defended, even
when the money goes to a deserving recipient, as the
Master's salary did.
Mr. LowE's Friendly Societies Bill is of a similar
character, though of much more general interest and
serious import. When a measure for the regulation
of friendly societies was mentioned in the Queen's
Speech, the mind instinctively turned to ponder over
some five project by which the scandalous robberies
in connection with those bodies might be checked. A
conference on State interference in this direction was
delusively postponed, " until the nature of the
Government measure is known." The consulting
parties may resume their labours. Mr. TIDD PRATT,
the Registrar of Friendly Societies, is dead, and all
the Government propose is that this post also
should not be filled up. Here is another saving:
the Registrar was paid £l,OOO a year, and
his chief clerk £5OO, all of which will
go to swell the surplus. No doubt the CHANCELLOR
of the EXCHEQUER is disinterested, for by abolishing
this office he gives up the only piece of patronage he
possesses. His arguments, too, were unimpeachable
in themselves. The Registrar's business was to
register the rules of these societies, and certify that
they were in accordance with the law, but
he had no real power of control, and un-
limited swindling was carried on under the wing,
as it were, of the State. He could not insist upon
due revelations as to the finances of friendly SO.
sidles ; he had no power to keep down the expen-
diture by which their funds are so frequently
absorbed. The certificate which he gave
proved only that the rules were in accordance with
the law ; and. it was possible to comply with certain
formal requirements, and yet triumphantly persevere
in a career of fraud. The certificate was no evidence
of good organisation, proper management,
economy in working expenses, nor in brief, did it
ensure any of the precautions which are so much
needed. If the Registrar could be of any service in
these respects, the late Mr. TIDD PRATT—an able
man and hard-working servant—would have ensured
all that was possible. But his powers did not permit
him to go further than complaints. The
chief use of the office was to detail once
a year the scandalous frauds upon the work-
ing classes by men who professed to serve
them; and this work Mr. TIDD PRATT most effec-
tually did. Albeit the swindling still went on. The
yearly report of the Registrar never met the eyes of
those persons to whom it would be useful, whilst the
certificate, as Mr. LowE pointed out, only deluded
poor people with the notion that it conferred
some security. They would enter a "Government
office " without further inquiry. Thus the Regis-
trarship, even in the hands of Mr. TIDD PRATT; was
productive of more evil than good. Its aboli-
sion is desirable—not as a mere saving,
for that is a miserable plea in such a
case—but to relieve the Government from the impu-
tation of indirectly participating in fraud. The only
question is whether these arguments do not point to
the need of more complete control, instead of none
at all. The societies robbed their members under the
Registrar, and they will no doubt continue to rob
them. Those who are practically acquainted with
the extent and heartlessness of these frauds may well
be excused for doubling if the work of the
Government with-respect tg,these- societies is finjsshed
yet.,

THE telegraph wires have soon been made to feel. .
the weight of official responsibility. So long as the
system was in private hands the elements and the
chapter of accidents worked their sweet will undis-
turbed ; they hampered the transmission of messages
and produced delays without complaint ; but they have
now a tangible representative in the person of the
POSTMASTER-GENERAL, and that nobleman has
already realised the gravity of his duties.
The electric catastrophes in the earler part
of the week have given rise to an angry
chorus of complaints and demands for explana-
tion. Yet a little consideration will shew that
the interruption and delay were by no means extraor-
dinary under the circumstances. On assuming their
new duties the Post-office authorities had to contend
against an increase of work with a diminution of the
effective staff. The uniform shilling rate sent up
the number of messages 30 per cent., whilst there
was an insufficiency of really competent operators.
The great extension of telegraphic enterprise, and the
establishment of so many new companies, have
caused a demand for experienced men. Many
such have joined the staffs of these new
organisations, and thus the Post Office, on beginning
business, was deprived of many excellent hands who
worked for the disestablished companies. Moreover,
the general rearrangement in the supply of news, the
increased competition in this respect, the anxiety of
the several proprietors to secure the most varied
and extended intelligence, led to such a
severe employment of the wires as brought
about a complete block in the line. To
augment these difficulties, the weather was of the
most unfavourable description. One of those mag-
netic storms, which are known to exercise such
malignant influence on telegraphic operations,
favoured the Post Office with a visit on the first
days of its operations. Quite independent of this
adverse element was the ordinary effect of the wind,
rain, and fog in impairing the insulation of the wires,
and that, too, at a time when the most perfect insula-
tion was needed in order to favour the work
of connecting the separate circuits of the old com-
panies with the central office.
_ _

Amid this confusion an entirely gratuitous
accident made matters still worse. A. work-
man cut the whole of the wires communi-
cating with the West. This historic per-
sonage was employed by the Board of Works
upon a house which, previously to the
transfer, had been a telegraph station. Ms duty was
to remove from the premises certain articles, includ-
ing a box ; but the only box he could find was one in
which the connection of the wires was made. It was
necessary either to leave the box or cut the wires, and
having no knowledge. of ,telegraph matters, and less
concern about them, the man quietly chose the
latter alternative, carrying off his prize. Com-
munication with the West was entirely suspended
by this proceeding, and it was not until after
the lapse of some hours that the position of the fault
was ascertained. Thus, it will be seen, all things
have worked together for evil at the outset of this
great national enterprise. Some of the unfortu-
nate circumstances were, however, entirely accidental,
whilst all were temporary, and may easily be
overcome. The weather, it may be counted on,
will not always be bad ; and should another such
torm occur, it cannot have the disastrous conse-
quences which ensued just at the time when the
communications were 'being completed. It may bo
presumed also that the wandering about of work-
men, cutting wires on behalf of the Board of Works,
will not grow into a system. There remains
only the pressure of business, which is entirely owing
to a public benefit in the shape of the uniform rate.
Had the old rates been retained, the difficulties
of the week would have been much less
serious; but surely the public would have
lost a permanent advantage for the sake
of avoiding a temporary inconvenience. The result
justifies the authorities in declining to adopt the
uniform sixpenny- rate until the system is under more
perfect control. This will soon be the case. It
may be mentioned en passant that the in-
crease of business, and the prospect of
further increase, have caused a demand for more
operators, and it is to be hoped that suitable persons,
men and women, who are in want of employment
will qualify themselves. There is a good field for
labour open in,this direction,

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

Working Men's Club tnd 'lnstitute -Unron; Strand,
Lord Lichfield presided, and referred to the fact that
the Chancellor of the Exchequer would bring in a
bill to deal with friendly societies. He proposed
to adjoiirn the discussion until the points of
Mr. Lowe's measure could be considered. Several
working men gave their experience with regard to
the operations of various societies, and on the part of
a very extensive one it was stated. that great tempta-
tions were held out by companies and burial clubs to
the agents of societies in order to purchase the mem-
berships in the hands of agents, and all kinds of
impositions were practised on poor people.
It was urged that the secret benefit societies
such as the Foresters, Druids, and Odd Fellows,
should all join together, and being societies without
agents they could aflbrd to work on cheaper prin-
ciples. One society paid its agents 25 per cent. to
collect the money from the lower classes, and much
unsoundness arose from ignorance of the principles on
which societies should be governed. It was also
pointed out that the principle of making one payment
in any society for all ages between twenty and thirty-
six was wrong, for if the average payment should be
a shilling, the youngest should only pay Bd., and
the oldest is. 4d. The Hearts of Oak Benefit Society
was alluded to as having 20,000 members of the
artisan class, and a reserve of £60,000. The further
consideration of the subject was postponed until the
appearance of Mr. Lowe's measure, which was intro-
duced to the House of Commons on Thursday night.