The New York herald., 1871-11-02
EUROPEAN TELEGRAPH COHVEHTIOa.
Meeting Of the Delegates at Berne, Switxarland-
Business Under Discussion Rsducsd Tariffs
Better Security in the Transmission Of Mes
sages-Post Offices In Europe-A Hint
to the United States Government
BERNH, Switzerland, S


Delegates from various Telegraph Departments
held a convention here this week for the purpose
OF Regulating the tariff rate to and rom British India
and china. The meeting was called at the instance
OF the Austrian government tho object being 10 de-
eide on Uniform rate for al messages IRRESPECTIVE
OF the route over which the transmission takes
place. ... ......sg ...5......, - ..s.........
THE NDo-EURoPHAN LINE
takes messages from London through Berlin, War.
saw and odessa on overland wires, thence BY cable
through the Black sea, and again overland through
Tinis and Teheran to the Persian Guif There are
other laud lines,> running through Italy. others
through Austria aud through Turkey. IN each case
messages are subject 70 the charge OF .
transt rate according to the provisions stf,-
ulated by the lnternatf0nAl Telegraph Treaty,
Great Britain. with the view OF rendering
herself Independent OF the transit through olher
countries, established about two years since sub
marine line between Falmouth and Gibralsar, thence
running to Egypt and along the Red Sea- The tele.
graph companies nom Egypt to Bombay and Cal
cutta are forming separate tateress, and then we
have finally, the land lines OF the Indian Empire as
well the cable companies to China Each interest
comes In for share, and all these conflicting inter-
ests had 20 be brought ud6ef 013s huksSD hwer0:s
tat TO say, the compan,sS hGss saxeed . eaops
ONE USir0RH RAz1 s'ii. rs. - q
and to make an ead of n Tulnous oompesie>on. the
through rate agreed sIbCn, \ unaststspd. ~ 1oo
nancs FOR nessagssf sweaU Wosds lgom L1adDn
to cacusta Twelve dsssos
sealed : solemn treaty esSs5iMhine oni16f1n5tS 81
ra,e 49,, great great boon Nll thus be conaefrce
assoyaOces 8 sae sss e wsrsS ssssrsp
cable ompanes Is weii q NE land lines skrouaS
RussiUand Pessl{ 4 should DO observed, are ruoiic
companies, Wnileasn osber lines are governments
TIE rRsArY aci y. ~, iAsfaQl -
required, therefore. the sanctton OF Italy. Austria,
Germany and all otno9 countries through which the
lines pass before reaching the Psrslsa Gulf TINS
convention, however, must not be conlounded with
annually coyeoEed unusr the provisions Of the Paris
Treaty OF 1867. Each Power has liz turn ami calls
present year Italy has to preside over the meeting
and the congress will assemble st Rome on the lst
--TE TELReRAPH MATTERS arsE .k
are established on so hrm basis that the congress
Is now held as mere matter Of form Tor the pur.
II any, whicn tend to interfere with the through
traffic. In manS countries, as IN Switzerland for i-
wnile in all European countries the service Is under
control oi the goyernmenti and works side by siie
that all European governments adhere 20 one mi
Inc rates q transmission throughout Europe are on
tari1 which OBTAINS In the United states,
THE POSTAL SYSTEMS. "-.e 4
The advantages which European nations rca,,ze
from superior management or the tecglapn service
are very Important. And IN this CONNECTION 1t IS
which the pubic is served by the post Office In most
countries. lhe service is ages behind those OF
managed reSards ali progress and docs ncaicuiabIe
has been greatly reduced in ali countries except
France but with the reduction speed ana despatch
have been sacrinced 70 degree which renders it de
vice be accelerated. AS it Is there is loss OF vau.
able time truly deplorabie The local service In The
the international service Is very defective. The
UDifed states share largely in the loss which this
in general, and 1t is high time THAT tne Post Oce
DEPARTMENT at wasningt3n On should move IL the
gsn r. e q ness saoss sye 90
constantly the postal rate but no regard u had 70
Ou1 s sRss0 Sasn Vea er
drawn ns s ass sSs s,sss very
between London and Berlin, Hamburg. or other
Na Ss S% Ss 5s
warranted delay could EASILY 6s avoided; Tne
sicrdain on the other hand, are sufcen!y large to
s matter OF perfect indifference whether letter
carries nflecn or twenty-nvc cents postage pro-
vidcd prompt transmission Is guaranteed, Has it
ever been calculated what amount OF money is re.
nitted through the Post once, either in COMMERCIAL
osrsps a. cesr mat me loss IN interest o money sIs Is
something enormous. II on the average our letters
to Continental cities lose only one day, the
interest tnus sacrificed on remittances suf
fces to cover the salary and contingent ex-
penses OF nve agents. Letters between London and
Vienna might be delivered at sher destination fully
sixteen hours sooner, II proper regard were paid to
the forwarding Of closed malls AS understand IT,
the letters are made up IN closed bags on board the
steamer leaving New York. There is apparently no
ex cuse why these bags should not 20 forward i'm
rnedately they are landed, and DO sent over the
quickest route. Common sense would suppose that
to be the case. But II not so. As Cor France, the
postal authorities, under the republic, are even
worse tnan under the empire. Moreover, IN France
the government has no control over the railroad
companies The later regulate their trans SO - TO
to some extent, believe, In Prussia the govern
ment or rather the Post Once, directs the trains 10
snit the convenience OF the public. In switzerland
"A a q Tint