The New York herald., 1870-03-07

tne important subjects indicated above and detailed
In the following order.
The British Government Telcsraph-rhc Pco-
pie Against Monopoies--rhe Atlantic Cables
aud the New Combination.
LONDON, Feb. IA 1870.
All the telegraph business OF the United Kingdom
now fairy in the hands Of the British government
and the people already beginning feel the ad-
vantages or the new system. The low uniform tariff
Of one shilling for twenty WORDS exclusive OF the
address, places this important mode of communica-
ttOn at the command OF almost everybody, while the
large increase Of wires and Offices greater
promptness than heretofore In the transmission and
delivery o: messages
Tue object OF the Post ONCE authorities has been
% bring the telegraph into every locality and
as possible TO every persons The private CON-
panies would naturally enough place oices only at
paving points, and for messages delivered beyond
certain radius they imposed an additional charge for
p0rterage. This was a EVIL OF the old system.
IL materially increased the nominal cost of teie-
graphing II placed a tax upon the receiver OF the
telegram, as wen upon the sender and, above all,
II occasioned an annoying delay In the delivery OF
messages. telegram would frequently be longer
finding its way from the olice 10 LIS destination tnan
mad been coming four or nve hundred miles.
Cheapness despatch and convenience are, therefore,
the people But there yet more important advan-
tages 10 be developed by time. FavontIsm is AZ
an end. and the despatch sent by John Smith now
takes It's equal chance with that OF the Baron dc
Rothschild. Secrecy Is secured and private intelli
gence VIII no longer the risk Of being withheld
until II has been traded upon legtimately. The
telegraph IS confined TO the business OF transmitting
messages and reports, and VIII no longer step out
side OF proper duties TO take the character OF
agent or peder OF neTs. Business men aud the
q a n
OF these reforms.
In matters OF detail the Post once authorizes
have already worked many improvements and
Others VIII follow as hey are suggested By practical
experience The new forms now III use are divided
into squares, the intention being 10 write one word
In each square Tor the convenience OF counting On
the margin OF tue blank s printed in figures the cost
words. The payment - made by stamps as IN the |
OF letters sent by mall, ana the business man,
how mucn q message costs afixes the proper
stamps and sends u OF to the eegraph office with
required, but IL Is desirable TO save mails
the message thus stamped and enclosed in an en-
Velope marked Telegram can be deposited In an
ONCE box or pillar DOS. and is forwarded IN ITS regu
lar order THIS Is found 10 be great convenience
to business men, especially when matters ARISE after
post hours, or when anything has escaped their
memory until evening which may make correspon-
dence necessary. The immediate erect OF the
adoption OF the government system here has been
an increase o thirty or iort per cent in the business
realized in less than two weeks, and persons whose
experience enables them to form correct
judgment predict confidently that the business
viii be than doubled In six months
from the present time. TINS viii largely increase
the gross receipts Notwithstanding the decrease 10
rates, and under the government system the
working expenses VIII be less than under private
corporation, and as the surplus revenue or profits
will be used to extend and increase the efficiency or
the lines, the people viii be the gamers. IL IS
already contemplated to adopt metropolitan rate
OF sixpence per message OF twenty words, wnicn
will be extended to all large cities. There - lttie
doubt now that the postal telegraph Will come into
general and that the lowest possible tarir w!l
prove as successful and remuneratye az the penny
post.
IL h notable that the increase which has taken |
place since adoption OF the lines by the govern
ment bears proportion TO the distanee-thae is to
say 1t Is largest between the most distant points
This establishes the fact that the vaSter the area Gov
cred by country the greater the benefit. and the
necessity OF postal telegraph with uniform or
nearly uniform rates and disposes OF the argument
sometimes used by those Interested In private teie-
graphic monopoly that government system may
do very well in the small nations OF Europe but
would fan IN so extensive country az the onteu
ets Of the postal telegraph would he tenod greater
in America Than IN England for the very reason II
greater IN the western republic aud The
Communication 10y mail necessarily 80 much
which make the adoption Of the government system
the United states peculiarly desirable. In England
there were competing companies "ncn Insured
America the Geographic business - beld IN the
grasp OF an unscrupuious monopoly, which crushes
opposition by unfair means and holds Tue people
us mercy. Here the lines were built and run with
reasonable honesty and economy, The working ex-
cent or the gross receipts. Tie consequence was
that the pubic enjoyed far larlr ard the share
holders suicient profit Ia the United states the
Western Union CORPORATION, which swallows up All
the telegraphic business OF the country, swetis as
Is generally SAID an actual capital or $lOO10oO0
or ST. oO1 900 into a fictitious capital OF
$40 5000 and expends nearly seventy per cent OF
its gross recelpts on ts working expenses only, e%
elusive OF rebuildngs extensions NC. As the com
papy owns thousands upon thousands OF miles OF
rotten poles, worthless insulation and used up WIRE,
II rs no wonder that the Remaining thirty per cent
should disappear between reconstruction and pre-
ferred dividends II follows that while the people
who use the wires forced to pay an exorbitant
tariff TO meet the requirements OF the bogn. capital
the shareholders IN the race OF nearly Slo goo ooo an
fOrego any dividend AT all, or to content themselves
VITA q beggarly two per cent every nlnc or Twelve
months Every consideration, therefore, that IN
duced the English people ana especially tne COM
mercia and business classes To insist upon the great
reform OF government tele2faphic system must
have tenfold force with Americans. with the latter
it Is not only question OF increased security de.
an oppression ana imposition to which they nave
been subjected i0r years.
In IKE manner the serious evils OF favorltism and
trading In news prevail a much greater degree In
AmeBca tnan IN Eng and. 1t IA notorious That the
western Union Company has sought 10 step outside
its legitimate business. as tue translltter ana dIs
triDuter OF news, aud 20 take upon Lse the cOliec
tion and sale OF news. corporation tnat engages
in this sort of speculation learns disregard
private confidence, and deals with Intelligence Ike
q huckster no matter from whence ~ may come
The demorazing effect or news peddllng trad
ing ls certain TO spread Itself throughout tae whole
telegrapnic system. aud bence IN America operators
IbeInse yes as justified N following the ex
ample OF Their superiors N Office, and have
frequently turned Lne enterprise, Judgment or
expenditnrc OF commercial men, WHO nave
trusJed their secrets TO the wires to their
own account Ia tue face or these facts ana Of the
wonderful success the postal telegraph system
" ereyef 10 has oeen tried, II Is difficult to conceive
how any senator or Representative In Congress
can oher auy opposition to the absorption OF The
Telegraph by the American government. unless, IN
decd, he represents the money OF me western Union
monopoly instead OF the interests OF his constituents
Ii Is. indeed, only question whetucr puDhc OF
private Interests shall prevail, whether the greatest
aud nosG w0nderful gilt tuat science has bestowed
upo the age sna be made real boon TO the people,
OF q instrument OF profit 10 a lew covetous
gpeCulatols.
SUBMARINE MESSAGES.
the combination or working treaty as it Is called
between the Frcncn and English Atlantic cables has
been made, and now the next step VIII be the ln-
crease OF rates between Europe and America nom
thirty snilhngs 10 two pounds Tor ten words, In