, 1881-01-19
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
Report Of q Special Committee Of tho
National Board of Trade.
Success Of The English Systtm-Eatrmens Slotk.
Watering and rrohts Of tho american
Monopoly.

A Careful and Comprehensive stato-
nont of Facts and Figures.
NATIONAL. HOARD or TRADE.
1d .xhe National findtzi n Irutie: III istaI tho
Et,vtIAh tc1c9raphs wurn tnkEn hy t,o t|uvcrl-
mont, ut MI appraised value, md added To tim
postal Hyatqn Ut tho country. Tho tlsuury uI,Dt,
which thIa &ulon WIS t,asotl was, TINT tho trans
mission Of Intelligence .wns Governmental
function; that tho telegraph was GINNING lntu
general ueo for thnt purpose; Tint under Gov
erhtnont control, tn connection with tho postal
systom its benefits could l,e EXTENDED 10 ttInl,y
sninll plnces whuro It wonlh nut pny private
corporations to uxtonh tl.clr lines, md TINT its
usefulness to thu general public would be III
crcased thorrby. For ten ycara It tins tcc,,
operntod In accordance with tho sntnc principle
which hns controlled tho rest Ut tho ttustal
acrvacc-viz: tho largest nitnsllro Ut ncEOnltBo.
daton and usefulness to tho public, rather ttlan
Immediate pecunlnry ruturtis. and tho results,
III glvcn III tho lust 1tflcat reports, are us ful-
lows:
Number of Offices In 1860. Gg.,......,..,;,.,, 24ss
Nuulbuc uf O1cps III 1BM. ,.............. h:stt
Number of !nessages sont ~ isA,. a,s99l ~
Number of nlcssHscs sent iii lb0. oil, III
During thts time Tho Department has paid
operating expenses, md Il surplus, amounting
tn ton yoars lust past to about Two millions
sterling. or ttn tnalions Of tit,|tars which l,ns
gorn towards paying tho Interest on tho bonds
issued by tho Government for buying tito p,nnt
Thu plnns hIst howovor. heen 1MrHGsy Increased,
and tho Increase paid for out Of earnings. Hut for
this large inprenso Iii plnit, 1t Ia probable that
the s,stom wo,,ld have ,nnro tlian .rnid Ill tho
tntercst ehurEes OH bonds Issued for tho rur-
cilMse Of The tc1egrnni,s THO increase III psnnt
Il Illustrated M W tl1e 5 following Statistics;
sLIlcs Ut lino III laAD MLlT
Miles Ut w!ro tn l6t1. i9,EO
Miles Of submarine cables III IsD1 ..,...... iii
Miles OF submarine cables Il, fSs0...."... 5Q7
nsr'nets i, men +! II s ,s9 i. i, issn 1s a
Yarls Il pncnlnatla iubcs IL iaio ......:. i.st
fnrtls OF pneumatic tutrs IN leSl. fs,f1
T1 y tSa noreasc II the yalc Of e.
feature. Wlcn tie toscgsnplls wero operated hy
!,rlyute compan!es, rites were charged accorti-
tho ratos estaSiishe by TIC Goseron, ] s, whei, i,I
Is une, shilling, atHaut ~ ccnts. for tweMtv
,!n, ,s oslgs e., et rc:1 ,y, nd sg9atr@ @ i,
thu anI'sq ratn q increase In she uso oE ttle tel.
~ nsfS a arf6 m & reG' ssaes o y9
Tho public waa also bonefltel BY tho trN,slllIs.
siGt. of 1e%s. tno n''nlior or palers served wIth
1869, - Sls, Iii 1880; tho Mt,'ount Of ,luwa being
sorvico .wna largely tocrensod. Tho private
quo wortls Or ncws daiiy., whom Far!anio,.t WIS
naes s's;" .a" sss a q s S'hsr word, es 4
news per dion nro setlt whcll rarlIalncnt Is III
scssIo1i. and II .Doo At ol,or times lntio United
ntinR railways. llas hccn dcrento.i To cormratc
ORGANIZATIONS. and Il, tho ahscnuo, of proper
srnrrlslotl aud cnntr0l serious abuses hnvo
tIRher tor tho tlso Of taso Inventions twhIrlri Il
1nny bo said havo bcc0ino ,,cecssit!cs of COM
e5Se ~ sh t. yic liberal
This is Illustrated by tho following brief oha,,-
tor tor q Is ;slcEEr1Ch e a!tstnrTy: T,
expanded 70 T., ,UDooO: Of which SI;s.s.0A' was
issued Il tho llirchnsc OF competing lines while
Whnt actunI value this cnormuns diluton !nny:
ile snrpsotl t. hayo represontesi Gun ,e Judged
Ct o. fs no t1s %or.a a' et Cents the "a ''s fss o s
a%,tempt 81 10 sproaa eat IL nersa.ct M pper ssp: s:
iHariti Of shaTaes: Ihs ncxs step was tic pass
s's o:s Ct r. 9 5s i Sss tick skosy %s y.se sSs %s n
q Ito prepefty: Eext camp tho disruption q
of thls Company was utmost ny much inl!a,ed as
s5Sxi, ,ioo: and vt sllsa.i@i or western, Tn!on
ina ' " t q ~ "'4"'
IlIts brought tho stock Of this Cotnra1,y I'm IL
sluuit Iii. .ishjiMi. whiIn 'ihe handled dS,,t ~.
jirovtot,s,v tn tho teath of President Or,nr. II
was believed tint tic i,ofIcy Of this Cu,nf,atly
VIA 10 1fac norton Of ia surplus earnings ia
nIrrhnse mil rctirr liz nu,,ruinl,sIv wnfarrd
atock. instnd al using it ns nj, cxul,so for t,ni-
taInirs uigh ratcs; lit, Oh tho t!cKtI Of ircsi.
tiui,t Urtn.i. IL now nolIcY WIS i1nIipjrntrI by
inSnt ia tho Cotnuaur. n,sl m 1R31 stock To- tflo
ntnulnt OF about sGl1J0W, Which was Iii tLc
ircsstrv nj that linz. wns prrscnteI ia fno
stScEhGtt,cra #. ndsiittnn IL tn ismai IIycntis.
TIN n,,ultul rOpart al iho Wcst0rn Union Cuni-
Danv Yor i1al atntrs M fo1l,ws: Il f'hn rnnItnl
stnsk ~ this Cumi,nnY Is Sii,07;,. 4t6. Of which
there is ln the tro,.snry belongi,g TO tl,c C1nl.