The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-17
THE OCEAN TELEGRAPH COMPANY AND THE
PRESS.

| The ReasOns tor Limiting the Length Of Mes.
0agen.
NEW YORK, NEWFOUNDLAND AND
LONDON TELEGRAPH COMPANY,}
NEW YORK, May 16, 1871. }
| TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
We send you for publication with this note
| letter received from the managers Of the Anglo.
American and French Cable Companies. BY
law, by agreement between the different connecting
telegraph lines and by order OF the directors OF this
company, all messages are, and always have been.
forwarded over Its lines In the exact order OF their
receipt except the messages Of the governments OF
the United States Great Britain anu Newfoundland,
which. BY the charter Of the company, have pre-
cedence.
II any person in Europe or America knows OF
single Instance IN which this regulation has ever
been violated be Will confer great favor upon the
undersigned BY COMMUNICATING ne same to them In
Of the undersigned have been directors from the
formation OF the company In the the spring OF 1854
We ''"A'A' 'A' '0q pEr IEsRsp CoopEa,
s e9sEs T - FfSsn
MARSHALL o. ROBERTS,,
WILSON G, HUNT
Directors OF the New YORK. Newfoundland and Lon.
don Telegraph Company.
CLARENDON HOTEL, NEW YORK, May Is. 1871.
TO TIE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTORS OF THE New
8SSassslI S HFwroOs On. AND LONDON TELEGRAPH
GENrLEMEH-Since our arrival In New YORK on
Thursday last our attention has been called to vari
GUS articles in the newspapers commenting In no
measured terms upon the management Of tele-
graphic correspondence between this country aud
Europe.
In order to set our companies right with the pub
lie this side the water, beg 10 offer the follow.
Ing explanation OF inc rules and regulations at
%ssfs ys'S ssa s liberty
ns II
and Valentia, Ireland ceased to work on the 30tn
was lound that the French cable was BECOMING day
by day more nopelessy blocked chiefly by long
press messages from Europe. and although the
number and length 81 their messages long de.
we're handed in by these gentlemen and blocked the
line SO enectualy that there was very shortly from
social messages. In this emergency tho JOINT
boards Of the two companies, alter anxious delb.
s ana q Sig ss Sas ' d fe s sy oe as es
@ sS among e s q ss Inc
oSec OF s efsts to
the amount OF business down to the carrying capa-
OF messages to fifty words each, to divide the only
means OF communication remaining as equally as
| possible between senders and receivers on both
We regret exceedingly that this regulation, how
ever necessary to the general interests oil the pub
lie, should Affect unfavOrably important and IN.
nuentiai interest that OF the press; but under
the circumstances such regulation was absolutely
necessary In order to secure TO the senders and
ceivers OF ordinary commercial and social messages
Q fair and reasonable share OF most Important
means OF communication which had been unl0rtu-
nately limited by an accident the companies had
power either TO avert or control, and TO effect the
repair OF winch neither money nor labor spared.
large concessions TO the press and have done every
thing In their power to facilitate the TRANSMISSION OF
news kilograms to America, this service having
been performed al hfty per cent reduction upon the
rates 10 the general public. In times OF extreme
pressure upon the companies, SUCH as the present,
expect to be allowed to occupy the only remaining
cable uEduy. The companies In return Tor the re.
bate In price just mentioned naturally look for
far and reasonable treatment at their hands
The press should endeav0r 10 subordinate their
own special Interests, "a far as possible to the gen.
eral good OF all classes and thus assist the mana
gers OF the cable companies In carrying out regu-
lation which, so far from being introduced TO injnre
the interests OF the general public, was framed ex-
pressly TO secure them and to prevent press agents
from monopollzng the line with long messages at
half rates. 10 the practical exclusion VI the general
public, who send short messages at fun rates.
we beg To add that the repairing ship Is now on her
way 10 Newfoundland 10 repair the Anglo American
cables, and when that operation shall have been
enected the necessity OF the nuy-word limit Will
GEESE, as the three cables fully capable OF carry
ing the entire trafic without restriction. We are,
gentlemen your most obedient servants: -
General Manager OF the Anglo American Telegraph
Company llmiIed).
RICHARD O. MAYNE.
Managing Director Socete du Cable Transatlanttque
FTancais ilimited.