New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-28

about the same time. How happened Dublin TO re-
,evo q full report Of Mr. Gadstonc's speech and not
Manchester and Liverpool 1t repeats that the true
explanation is the weather plus imperfect organza-
lion. The liverpool Mercury of the 18th reports great
in commercial circles exchange
rooms being almost wholly without their necessary
70 business OH Change the result has
been disastrous
Ireland Jared no better than England. The
Irish Times of the 18th says that. notwithstanding
nm exclusive wire from London it was unable to get
anything like the number of reports and other inn
portant matter provided at great expense The
London correspondent of the same journal writes a
letter containing the announcement that what the
Irish members would do with respect to the Land Bill
along with other intelligence interesting to Irish
people, was suppressed on Tuesday night by the
authorities. The Manchester Guardian of the
10Th states that an effort is likely to be made in the
House of Commons by several influential members
TO abolish Government telegraph monopoly.
The Nelrs of the DIST publishes conspicuouSly
long letter describing the universal wall among
business men over the complete breakdown OF tee-
graphs in Government hands" The writer received
and sent 80 messages daily, at former time, between
London and Liverpool The message and reply
averaged an hour and half often under an
hour, and sometimes is minutes. BY the
present system the quickest reply takes three hours
the average is six hours and single messages often
require five hours They are incorrect also p per
cent of the. present messages containing mistakes
lie explains the causes Of the present breakdown.
In Liyasseh out of six offices formerly near the Ex
change dstare now closed. Messages from the sixth
are sent by pneumatic tube to the General PostOce
TO wait their turn with others, from all parts Of the
town instead of going direct. as formerly
hoe M
9d that he cannot get replies the same day to tee-
grams sent in the morning; that kilograms sent to
London and Glasgow at are not delivered some
times till next morning, after being confirmed by
letter, and that his business is completely dsorgan-
led lie can get no redress and implores the help
Of the press.
If such abuses exist in Edinburgh. Glasgow,
Liverpool, Manchester, and Dublin, what must be
the fate of smaller plaeesl A London barriSter
writes to Tie Standard on the 2lst that being at
Krkby-Lonsdale on urgent business kilograms
were forbidden to be sent him by the quickest route,
via Lancaster and that master reported
for sending kilograms that way. kilograms from
London sent 30 miles by train, parcel messages to
the parents of dying man. were refused by station
master who said that his orders were imperative to
decline all messages. This is an instance of the red
tape wthswhich the whole service has been ham
pered.
For such a state of things, Hartingtons eXplana-
tons as the London press has said, wholly fail 10
account. His speeches merely official apologies,
but the real explanation need not 90 far to seek.
The transfer to Government is IA mistake, and Gov
ernment management a series Of blunders. For
merly several distinct companies were compelled TO
consult public convenience, under penalty of losing
business and having no dividends. Unrestricted
produced admirable service. The Gov
enmcnt bought up the existing lines, consolidated
Them secured legal monopoly TO itself and handed
the telegrapLic service over to the Post-Oice The
first object 70 the Post Office has always been rcve
nue. II pays 100000 yearly, and everything gives
way TO keeping up that Surplus The convenience Of
the public and the efficiency of the service are sec
ondary considerations The Department proceeded
to work telegraphs on the same principle. Knowing
that one railway carry any number of letters,
il wasbeleyed that one Office could receive and one
more transmit, any number of kilograms. Service
for three Kingdoms was organized accordingly. In
stead of several distinct competing lines to each
large town with separate officers and sals, now
there is but one line and there is but single Office
and single staff.
Formerly, if one line failed others wOr ked. Now
when accident closes one nothing remains to be done
for the Post Office has no second string to its bow.
Under the oil management total cessation, as has
now happened, was never known. To the general
trouble the embarrassment to the public from abolish
ing old rules and introducing new and complicated
FORMS and the many Offices intTusted TO incompe-
tent operators are added. To make confusion
wOrse-coufounded. postal business mOney-order busl-
ness telegraph business, are all carried on together
in the same Offices and theirstas reduced to mini
mum to accommodate the greater number of small
towns doing little or 10 Geographic business. The
convenience and interests of great cities have been
sacrificed. Many of these evils are neither eXcep-
tonal nor temporary. but inherent in the system.
and necessarily arising out of the Government con-
troll of the teegTaphs. II this dispatch reaches
New-Yor in good season it will be because the Cable
Company retains control Of its own inland wires.
The Post-Ofce continually promises amendment,
but the service shows little if any, improvement
Complaints continue as before, down to the date of
this dispatch. THE Scotsman Of the 18th, its latest
number appears with only half column of the
Lord Advocates speech introducing bill on land
tenure in Scotland, though The Scotsman always
gives important Scotch debates rerbafiB The Press
Association last week despairiug of the telegraph,
-esorted TO carrierpgeons for racing news from
Croydon, which arrived punctually at regular inter
walls. To accomplish such results it was that the
Government took possession of the telegraphs pay
ng price so enormous as carried telegraph shares.
N some cases, to three hundred per cent. II was
natural that a transaction which began in reckless
of public money should end in penurious
economy of management, reckless trifling with pub
lie needs, and peril to great public interests There
nay be gradual improvement in the service here
ifter There must be. or public indignation will
compel the abandonment of the Government mon
poly and establishment of new private liDes-per-
laps again TO be bought up at eXOrbtant rates and
o be followed by new confusion, and incalculable
injury to business. o. w =