New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-24
THE ENGLISH TELEGRAPH.

THE ENGLISH TELEGRAPH.
On the fifth of January last, the British
government took possession Of all the
telegraphs in the country upon terms and
conditions fixed by parliament. The OBJ
jects sought to be accomplished were, first
to use the telegraphs as an adjunct to the
postal service; second, to reduce the cost
of telegraphing, so that the humblest
citizen within reach of telegraph Office
might be able to avail himself Of it,;
thirdly, to use the net earnings for the
purpose of extending the telegraph sys-
tenn; in short, to make the telegraph CO.
extensive with the post, so that finally by
proper combination Of the telegraph and
postal service, there would not be nook
of old England that could not be reached
in an exceedingly short space of time.
As a matter of course, the telegraph
companies We're much opposed to this
change they did not want to lose the
large dividends they had been accus-
toned to draw so regularly, and upon
which they had grown so rich. The ope-
rators were prejudiced against the change,
so that for while it was not easy to find
sufficient operators to carry on the work
properly. Even the newspapers, strange
to say, for a time violently opposed the
change, and published numbers of ridicu-
lous and extravagant stories of the blum
ders, delays and short comings OF the
government officers.
One of the first things the government
did was to reduce the tariff to uniform
rate throughout the kingdom, of twenty
five cents for twenty words, exclusive OF
the address.
The new system has been in operation
since February, and the government has
had time to properly instruct and drill its
officers, and we can see, with something
like accuracy, how it works. We have
been watching and waiting for some time
for any information on the subject that
would enable us to judge how far the ex-
pertinent was or was not successful. We
have noticed for some time past the
absence of opposition to the new arrange
ment. A few days ago We found in a
London paper a statement, that in the
week ending the fourth Of June, the dis
patches had increased from 127, 900 to
1911 ,442. In ireland, under the reduced
tariff, thirty-fve per cent more money was
received than the old companies received
when they charged three and four shil-
lings.
This glimpse that we get Of the success
of the experiment is very suggestive. That
it would be success we never doubted,
and as we in this country, in all such i'm
portant reforms, manage to be some years
behind England, it would be well if We
began to look about us and try if We cal
| not change this state of things. True, We
have madea start. The subject has al
| ready been introduced in Congress, but i
is very doubtful if anything will be done
in the matter before the next Presidential
| election. The whole force Of the presen
monopolists will be brought to bear to de
feat it the same as they did in England Tn
Democracy, which hates and denounce
strong government, will lose no oppor
tunity to prevent the accomplishment Of 81
great and valuable reform. We hope be
fore many years have rolled by to see tn
telegraph in the hands Of the government
and administered for the benefit of tn
| whole people, and not for the purpose 0
making a few monopolists rich beyon'
measure, while the toiling millions ar
heavily taxed for their benefit.
The fact is, much as We pride ourselve
upon our free government, it is a lon
way from being perfect. We must chang
our plan. Instead of giving millions upol
millions of acres of public lands to rail
road monopolists, it would be mucl
wiser for the government to build tn
roads and run them. Their revenue
would very soon produce enough to pa
the public debt, principal and interest
and there would be no longer any need c
taxation with the railroad, postoffice, an
telegraph in the hands of the government
Some may think these views visionary
bus we believe that many of the reader
of this article will live to see them prac
tically carried out.