The New York herald., 1879-08-07
INTERNATIONAL TLLEGRAPHY.
WHAT THE LONDON CONGRESS HAS DoNE-NEw
SCALE OF CHARGES.

WHAT THE LONDON CONGRESS- HAS DoNE-NEw
SCALE OF CHARGES
LONDON. July 26. 1872
The conclusions to which the international Tele-
graph Conference arrived at the meeting just con-
cluded will not be officially known until they have
been submitted to the various governments repre-
sented. The Ne'cs has. however. been allowed to
mention that the general demand for cheap tele-
graphy has been met. not by general reduction Of
tariffs but by concessions TO the form OF messages
and the word tariff has. with certain notifications
been adopted for general The Old idea of min
imum message has been given mp and what may be
called fixed constant charge made instead
and the method of charging for long mes
sases has naturally undergone alteration. 1t
will be recollected that. under the system
now existing, minimum message, including
names and address, is fixed at twenty words. which
must be paid for whether many words be re-
quired not, and that the charge increases by SO
much per ten words. Thus if message be. in
Guiding names and address. only five words. twenty
must bo paid for, while if it require twenty one
words thirty will be charged. the rate of increase
is at SO much per ten words. The system of high
initial charge has been throughout defended by the
argument that q message is Il message whether it be
short or long, and that the same prehxes and ter
minal charges are required for both. 1t has, how
ever, been found possible to combine fixed initial
charge with simple word-tarif III such wise to
relieve the senders of short messages of considerable
expense. 1t is understood that the submarine CON-
panies expect sustain certain loss by this modi-
hcation which, SO far as short mercantile kilograms
are concerned, amounts to nothing less than
duced rate OF charges but hope to recoup them
selves by large expansion OF this part OF their busi
ness.
THE NEW SCALE OF CHARGES.
The solution of the difficulties between the advo-
Gates of simple word tariff and those who cung to
minimum MESSAGE of such length as to prove re-
nluneratve to the lines has been found in first
charge at the rate of five words tor telegram and
after that at so much per word according to the
listing tariff. To make this clear in intention it may
be mentioned that the telegraph companies consider
the "prefxes es'-that is the preliminary messages
exchanged between clerks before the actual mes
sage is dealt wih-equivalent. with the trouble OF
collection and delivery to fve words. In practice it
makes possible to send short message very low
rate. To take the example of telegram England
to Italy To begin with the shilling extra from Eng
lish places other than London is abolished, leaving
the minimum telegram of twenty words. For this
the charge is now seven shilings and sxpence with
increase by ten words at the ratio OF tourpence per
word. Taking this rate as the basis of calculation
the telegram would be computed thus: An
initial charge of five words shilling and eight
pence; message OF, say. eight words. two shillings
This is very great reduction. But it may
be objected that message OF eight words
is very short one. It is, in iact. much
longer than it appears ut first sight TO per-
sons accustomed to correspond by telegraph
the address only consists OF three words-for IN
stance Brown to Black. of Rome Brown does not
need send his address. and the full and ad-
dress of Black at Rome kept in private direc-
tory at the teiegraphc ofhce-a privilege costing
him about q guinea per year. He has, therefore.
ive words left free-often more than enough mas
much as Brown to Black at Rome "Yes' would
often be sufficient and would be charged as only
four words in addition to the initial five, making
message OF simple assent cost no moro than three
shillings This. then. is the effect OF the scale
OF charges on inter-European telegrams 1t Is hardly
necessary to state that the simple word-tar with
initial charge las been in use since the Conven-
tion Of st. Petersburg on extra European lines.
CHEATING THE PACKERS.
The regulations laid down by the Conference Of
London as to the definition OF q word minute in
the extreme. and would appear amusing IL the artful
devices of packers were not well known. Great
| ingenuity has been expended upon the concoction
of words conveying the meaning Of sentence and
aspecIes of duel has been going on for some time
| past between the packers" and the companies-the
latter protesting against the Of words OF learned
| length and laundering sound" obviously intended
to defraud them of what they consider their lawful
dues Code-makers have carried the art OF building
up sentence-words to such pitch at last that the
| companies have turned upon them anc obtained
from the London Conference definition OF what .
word geographically speaking, is. For inter Euro
| peau purposes word may contain fifteen charac-
ters according to the Morse alphabet but beyond
Europe characters only. Thus responsibility
! is word for European but two for extra Euro
pean telegraphy
BY the abolition of the signature previously re
| quired concession has been made which almost
| compensates for the insistance on telegram being
| properly directed This latter provision, however.
| Is not very exacting. Two words only actually
obligatory. and these must be the name and address
perhaps well that the name. Signature aud address
of the sender should not be required. Many bicker
ngs nave arisen over the Question OF signature and
| not been determined not to ask it all.
Still The telegraph offices retain the right Of
| compelling the sender or telegram TO
| establish his identity whenever they think
fit. The remainder of the work of the International
Telegraph Conference has been in the direction Of
minute but necessary reg uations for adjustment
OF the order in which messages shall be sent and
other arrangement for the more perfect MANAGE
Si,,ts tola
grams take precedence of all Others and followed
i'll the order Of transmission by service kilograms
/ and the urgent" private kilograms for which q
triple rate Is charged in the countres-sll except
India aud England-in which urgency is recog-
take precedence of ordinary messages appear TO pass
mainly between operators on the various Continental
money markets. TO whom the cost Of message is
probably OF slight Importance.
GENERAL RESULTS.
The effect of the Conference or London will un-
quetonaby be the destruction or any hope OF cheap
and popular international telegrsphy being intro
duced for some little timeat least till after the Con-
ference TO be held in Berlin in 1854. The conces
made in form and price all, 1t will be Oh
served to regular customers. merchants and others
whose "code." name aud address kept at the
miua Office. Senders OF kilograms VINO COM
pelled to write aud address OF sender and des-
tinee full length will profit but very little II ut
ALL by the revised code OF 1879, which may be
regarded rather as polite concession than
the initiation of any new system. 1t must, how
ever. in fairness be recognized that tho great
submarine lines are commercial spec ulations work
ing for profit and therefore hardly to be discussed
the same principle As land telegraphs managed
ly the governments of the countries through which
they pass. The latter may be regarded by any gov
ernneht disposed AZ part OF the machinery of ma
tional life. anu not therefore compelled to return
profit: but so long the lines remain in pri-
vate hands these theories are obviously inzppcabe
to them. Merchants. however, have cause to thank
the delegates tho London Conference for relieving
them OF most of the ignomnius necessity and op
portunity for getting tho better OF the telegraph
panies. IL may be added that the amendments
OF the Conference have yet the formal rat
hcation OF the several governments concerned and
that they not intended TO take effect before April,
1850.
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