Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-17
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
Interesting Statistics in Regard to
the Working of Government
Lines In England.
A Net Revenue Averaging f9OO,-
900 During the Last Twelve
Years.

Special to Chicago Evening Telegram.
WASHINGTON, September 14.-The
annual report ofthe English Postmas-
ter General, which has just been re>
ceived at our own Postoiice Depart
ment, shows that the government has
received q net revenue, averaging over
100000 each year from 1871 TO 1888,
inclusive from the telegraph. Eight
years ago, after the governmental ex-
pertinent had been in operation for
five years, Mr.. Jevons took 3 gloomy
view Of it. 1t will noticed that his
fear that government had made e great
mistake and expressed before the
returns for the year 1876 we're made
up. During those five years the reve>
nue. had steadily run down from $685.
900 to $4,000, and Mr.. Jevons imag-
ined that in another year or tive there
would be a deficit. On the contrary,
the very next year there was a net
revenue OF nearly a quarter Of a million
pounds. Since that the net revenue
has been up as high as f368, 900 and
never lower than fl69,00 During
the last three years hat Mr.. Jevons
was reviewing there were several unu>
sual expenditure. The working ex~
penses for 1873 include e63, 900 arrears
Of pay for 1901. The expenses for
1874 include Ell, SOP for extensions,
which were then for the first charged
against the telegraph appropriation.
In 1875 the pensions of redundant
officers Of telegraph companies were
for the first time charged in this &C
count. This item amounted to e41,-
695, Of which e24,999 were for arrears
Since the time of Mr. Jevons' despond.
ing view there have also been unusual
expenditures in some years that have
kept down the net revenue.
In 1879 $4,000 was paid out Of
telegraph earnings toward the site Of a
new postofice in Manchester, and
large payments, the amounts not stated
in the reports, we're made to rail-
way companies in settlement of arrear-
ages.
DR.. Norvin Green's reference that
the government must operate the tele.
graph system at a loss because Parlia-
ment annually makes an appropriation
for the service is probably answered
in the fact that u own Congress an
nually appropriates money for the
support Of our postal service, even
when the service yields a surplus rev.
enue. Mr.. Jevon's criticisms were
from the English rather than the
American standpoint, for Englishmen
are accustomed to regard the postofice
as a source Of revenue TO the extent of
100000 600 or e3,000,0 900 a year, while
Americans are entirely opposed to the
transmission of the mails at a profit,
and last winter Congress reduced the
rate Of postage in order to maintain
a deficit. Naturally a deficit in a
government telegraph scheme would
strike al Englishmen as a much more
serious matter than it would an Amer
lean, who insists that his government
shall not only carry his letters and his
newspapers, but even his small pack,
ages, at an actual loss.
Although an English government
telegraph has afforded every year a
substatial net revenue, it is a fact that
the expenses have increased faster
than the gross income. They have
also increased ind little greater ratio
than the number of messages, which
was 9,850,l7 and 1902, ops in 1888.
This difference in ratios, however, is
not very great. What it would have
cost private companies to do the same
work there are nc means afforded in
the report of estimating, but that is a
matter OF only speculative interest.
The practical question for the English
people is whether private companies
would have charged them more or
less. In other words, s~upposing the
government management is more ex-
pensive than private management,
which it may be or may not be, is the
difference in the cost OF service
greater or less than the profits the
private companies would have got out
Of the business2 Smith may DO able
to do a piece Of work more cheaply
than Jones, but the question that in
terests Brown is which of them will do
at the least expense to them. The
Postmaster General 10 his present re-
port says it is proposed in the near
future to reduce the minimum rate for
telegraph dispatches from one shilling
to six pence.