The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-14 00:00:00

LONDON MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1870.

FIVE weeks have now elapsed - since the trans-
fer of the telegraphs to the Post Office, and
we are now in a position to estimate both the pro-
gress that has been made and that which may be
expected. Some persons, whose late experiments in
telegraphing have been attended with disappoint-
ment, will be disposed to return a sharp answer
to these questions. Beyond doubt the loss and incon-
velt once arising front the delays in the transmission of
nn.isages have been very considerable in some in-
stances. But, as we have previously pointed out,
these irregularities were in great measure inevitable.
Ag business men will know that it is impossible
to make even slight changes of organisation without '
d tflcultY; a sudden increase of traffic to the extent
o: thirty or forty per cent. must always involve much
co..rusion; and in the case of the telegraph
transfer, not only was there such an increase,
bit the . change was attended with ei-
ccpConal difficulties. Three largo and separate
eita:3lishments had to be amalgamated into one, whiLt
at the same time considerable additions were needed
to meet the wants of an extended scale of operations.
The systems of the three great companies which had
been working as rivals were to be brought into co-
nnAration. and 1.500 new offices were added to the

joint undertaking. It is butreasonable that these racte
should be borne in mind by those who have suffered
from delays; and the mere so, as the transfer has
even already been attended walk., advantages which
mast go far to counterbalance the temporary loss. It
is agreed on all sides that greater care and attention
have been bestowed upon the transmission of Ines-
saes, and that commercial news has been rendered
with greater accuracy than has ever been known
be ore. That the reduced tariff has been fully
appreciated is shown by the lare inerer:23
the number of messages. In the matter
of news the gain to the public is especially striking.
Many of the newspapers in the country, and espe-
cialiy those publ:shed in the metropolis, hear evidence
to the increased facilities afforded for the diffusion
of intelligence. Experience and better organisation
cannot fail to increase these substantial advantages.
And it is gratifying to learn that they are likely to
be enjoyed, not only without loss to the
revenue, but with considerable pecuniary gain. So
far as the actual transfer of the telegraphs is con•
corned the management was all that could be de-
sired. The Times agrees with us that the change
was effected more satisfactorily, and with less con-
fusion than any other of equal magnitude.

If it were possible at once to add to the number of
wires, and increase the staff of operators in a
sufficient degree to meet the demand which
has arisen, no future difficulty need be
apprehended. This, hoiiever, cannot be done at once
A little while ago the postal authorities were censured
as incurring unnecessary expenditure in money and
labour by providing instruction for a large number of
additional clerks. It now turns out that this plan
might with advantage have been carried out to a
much greater extent. The staff of clerks is insuf-
ficient, and unfortunately- it requires some
-months for an inexperienced person to atta'n
the requisite degree of quickness and skill. In
the meantime it is highly desirable to relieve the
present strain upon the wires as much as possible.
The chief difficulty has arisen from the vast quantity
of intelligence which the proprietors of newspapers
have endeavoured to transmit—the result in some
cases having been similar to the proverbial attempt
to pour water rapidly into a bottle. A com-
plete stoppage has sometimes ensued. By judicious
arrangements this difficulty may be avoided, as there •
can be no necessity for telegraphing the same matters
several times over. In a few months the Post Office
may be able to meet the most extensive demands in
this respect. But at present the public service
ought not to be inconvenienced by a pressure
which can be averted. It is just to
add that the authorities at the Post Office
have laboured day and night, and without regard to
personal inconvenience, in order to meet the wants
of the public. It is to be hoped that their efforts
will shortly be crowned with success. In the mean-
time, it is not too much to ask that the shortcomings
which may for a time be inevitable will be botna
with forbearance ; and, what is more to the par-
p3se, that arrangements be made• to consolidate
press work and avoid the repetition which now
arises.

IF the Government have any dud appreciation of
the absurdity of a reforming Ministry resisting a
change which is at once both needful and oppor-
tune, they will not hold out any longer on
the question of a halfpenny postal rate for printed
matter. There is really no argument against the
reform, and the Marquis of llartington, when
replying to the deputation which. waited upon him
oi• at urday, did not %It ni pt. to raise any. NOT
is the common rcource of Miaistees—that though
the ci:aii:;e may be goal, the time isnot fa,vourabls—
at all available in this case. For such disadvan tag. 3
as may have to b 3 encountered will not be diminished
by delay, whilst it is quite possible that the present
auspicious state of the revenue may be want-
ing at some future time. The high rate of
postage is a restraint upon commerca, a serious
obstacle to the diffusion of intelligence, and a
burden on the general community which States of
pretensions far inferior to our own have
cast aside. All the leading continenLil nations
transmit printed matter at a rate much below that
levied in England. Indeed, from a statement made by
Mr. Mundella, it seems that the Belgian Post Office
not only does its own work at a cheap rate, but can
actually outbid the English authorities on their own
ground. It is cheaper to send circulars and the like
to Brussels to be posted and thence dis-
tributed over the United Kingdom, than to
originally deposit them in an English Post Office.
The Belgians will send printed matter to England for
five cents.—a little less thane halfpenny; whereas our
authorities exact the inexorable penny for doing the
same work minus the sea journey. A system which
leads to such a conclusion needs no further
condemnation. There i 3 really nothing more
to say on the subject ; all that remains
is to await the decision of the Government to take
a step which they admit to be both necessary and
feasible, for the Postmaster-General acknowledges
that his department is sully equal to the work. He
is somewhat afraid of the money loss which
will be encountered at first ; but this
difficulty, which is certainly not great, must be met
at any time, and it may have to be snot at a time
when the Government has not the splendid surplus
Which it has now accumulated.