The Portland daily press., 1870-08-04
Terms $500 per annuns, i,o adrance.
Postal Teirgpuph.

Mr. Smalley, the London correspondent of
the New York Tribune says the Postal Tele-
graph in Great Britain still works very badly,
representations TO the contrary, notwithstand-
Ing. Messages are delayed often till they be-
come worthless, the newspapers cannot get
prompt reports OF the debates in parliament
and the management of the whole business
is said to be characterized by clrmsiness and
inefliciency. One cause is said to be the Pc
nurious system which the government has
adoped. In their anxiety to cut down the
expenses they have undertaken to do the
business with entirely insufficient appliances.
Mr. Smalley says the only testimony 10 the
contrary is from those interested in tho Postal
Telegraph scheme:
"Mr. Scudlmore, the manager Of the Postal
Telegraphs. was on trial, and the verd ct of
the public had gone decisively against him,
whereupon Mr.. Washburn applied to Mr..
Scudanore to say whether the verdict was
just. and Mr.. ScudamOre Gid what most ac-
cused persons would have done. He said he
was Innocent, and that it was th9 juIy which
was to blame."
But what concerns the public is not how
ingenious an excuse Lord Harrington ard
Mr. Scudamore can frame for not doing the
duty they undertook. Their admissions of
failure are the thing important to the Amer
can public, which does not want to run ind
fold into the same snare which entIapped the
English. Lord Harrington said that he was
obliged to admit that since the transfer of the
telegrapbs to the government, there had been
constant, though hot daily DELAYS, which were
much TO lie regretted. They had not made
allowance tor the great increase 10 the busi-
ness. The department had done its best to
meet the increase, but had not succeeded,
"Finally, the Postmaster General covered
the whole case in the remark that for some
cause, the transfer of the teeeraphs to the
government had not been satisfactory to the
mercantile community 1t is true, Lord
Harrington thinks the mercantile community
and that they have lttle TO
complain OF, in fact. and that the general pub
lie has been benefited, and so on. But I
presume the mercantile community of Amer
lea will take the opinion OF Great Britain in
preference 10 that of Lord Harrington, and
with LoId Hartngton's express a( mission of
their dissatisfaction that part of the discus
sion must be considered closed. Four or five
months ago we aye told it was unIeasona-
Bile to complain; that the Department had
not time to organize work (which it had, in
TACT, been months preparing to take charge of
and that Ii the public would have little pa
lience, all would be well. That was in Feb.
luary, and now, in July, we find Lord Hart
DgtOn again concluding speech OF apology,
with another entreaty that If the public
would only extend patience to the Depart
ment, very short time would ella, Sc before
they would no longer have any reason to
complain One would like TO know what the
Department thinks short time, aud when
,he period OF patience on the part of the pub
ic is to be rewarded by period of efficiency
on the part of the Post-Ofice.
As this is subject which practically con.
Germs the American public we have given Mr..
Smalley's testimony at some length.