The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-13

one line pays and another does not " Is not worth
while TO construct lines TO small places where.
perchance. there would De scarcely half y dozen
messages week. Tue system is therefore, imper-
feet by bringing the whole business Of telegraphy
under one head, and consolidating the concern III
commercial scheme. II Will become worth while and
absolutely remuneratIve TO develop the telegraphs
30 rs to cover the country with network cores
pOndent IN It's extent and retiUuatiOn to the Post
once system. The village p0stman would call II 1t
were only TO fetch one letter. and he would not tail
TO appear with his bag the appointed hour though
1t contained only an advertising circular about
folding perambulat0rs The profit on the trans
mission OF letters to the great cities covers the loss
the smaller places II Is notorious that the practice
OF letter writing has been developed by the COM
peteness OF the system OF lntercommunication.
cities would be written unless 1t were preliminary
fact that 1t is possible 70 sit down and direct letter
with the certainty that II it Is dropped into one OF
the receiving boxes OF the government postal ser
vice. 1t will be delivered within q few hours any
where In the kingdom. 1t seems almost absurd to
argue that because man can write with confidence
iron London TO Fowey or P0rtObello, he writes to
Manchester or liverpool. Nevertheless 80 1t Is.
The rapid growth of the practice OF letter writing
Is not alone the product OF a cheap but OF COM
pete system cO-extensive with the country. The
bearing OF this circumstance upon the business OF
teegraphs tends to show that If the completeness
OF the system becomes an OBJECT, as IL must be
made IN any scheme similar TO that which has sue
ceeded 80 admirably with the Post UHice the prac.
tice OF biography viii be developed to an extent
bearing pr0pOrti0nate relation to that Of letter
writing. Another desideratum which would be at
JaudUlc uuutT otuLo uAbuux0ulout Uut uU OtHcI,
which would exert o most encouraging influence on
the traio, is It's perfect regularity and improved
method. IL Is well known fact that teegraphiC
interC0mmunicatiOn between the various parts Of
the metropolis is 80 uncertain and lengthy process
that few people send telegram with view to save
time. The stations are much too far apart. The
service is by no means prompt. The clerks laugh
and lOiter In their work. and messengers play In the
streets while precious moments are passing. There
Is no regularity and aacrty In the machinery OF the
SYSTEM and which Is equally mischievOus, there Is
an entire want OF method in the despatch reception
and delivery OF messages. To remedy these evils
under the existing arrangements Is impossible be-
cause 1t is impossible to indivduallxe responsibility
and II chs difficulty were got over, the ofclal Is
servant not of the public but of the company, which
stands In the capacity OF private trader with whose
business arrangements the public has no proper
concern.
We throw out these hints aprOpos Of the question
asked in the House Monday night because IL ID Of
the last importance that the screwlike pressure Of
public opinion should be kept upon the government
to force the negotiations and bring about speedy
change With respect to the question Of cost we say
nothing. II penny replaced shilling postage
when the government assumed the management
and monopoly OF letter carrying, very considerable
reduction will doubtless be effected IN the charge for
kilograms, in connection with the establishment OF
o uniform rate and o truly national, complete and
regular system OF lines and working.