The New York herald., 1875-08-29
The Post once and the Postal Teie-
graPhy.

/
There has been much discussion recently
in the English papers in reference to the
resignation of Mr.. Scudamore from the Postal
Telegraph Department A few years since,
as our readers will remember, the telegraph
system of England was taken by the govern
ment. 1t seems that under the management
of the government it has not been financial
success. During the current financial year
the expenditure will exceed the revenue by
million three hundred thousand dollars
Some dissatisfaction is expressed with this
result, especially as Mr.. Scudamore, a SAN
guine man, has been promising that the
financial results of the amalgamation of
the Post Office and the telegraph should be
gratifying to the people Some time in 1868
the rule was adopted charging one shilling a
message from any part of the United King
dom to another. When this rule was deter
mined upon Mr.. Scudamore went so far as to
express belief, that in time the business Of
the Office would justify the reduction of the
rate to sixpence. We learn that in con-
sequence of this cheapness there has been
an enormous increase in telegraphic busi-
ness At the same time there has been an
increase in the working expenses. The gov
ernment has not been able to. manage the
telegraph as cheaply as was done by private
companies. The newspaper press service"
is complained of as being at ruinous rates.
The salaries of officials were largely raised
after the government took charge of the
service. Altogether the official report may
/ be regarded as indicating that in the mere
matter of financial returns the amalgamation
of the telegraph and Post Office has been a
mistake.
But in every other view it seems to us,
taking these unfavorable reports, to have
been a success. The enormous increase Of
business shows that the telegraph has been
brought home more and more to the people.
1t might really be questioned whether the
advantage arising from being able to send
telegraph despatch. from one extremity of the
United Kingdom to the other for shilling is
not worth the million or million and half
dollars annually which Parliament is called
upon to pay as a deficiency. If we look over
the estimates in government like Great
to the members of the royal family, arms
and equipments and ships-we find millions
of dollars expended without a murmur to
crafty the pride of rank or warlike ambition.
Yet here is great beneft to the people,
which is felt in every home, which tends to
knit the bonds Of society and to make every
Englishman feel that he touches the palm Of
every other Englishman on his island no
matter how far apart, and the whole amount
is not as much as the cost of the Prince of
Wales visit to India. So far, therefore,
from regarding the financial estimate Of the
postal telegraph in England as an argument
against the system we should prefer rather
to regard it as strong argument in its favor
If the government of the United States could
put it in the power of every citizen of this
country to send despatch to any part of the
Union for twenty-five cents we should be
perfectly willing to have it done, even if
Congress had to vote every year one or two
millions as deficiency.