, 1884-01-24

1t is plain that the idea Of the gov
eminent adding a postal telegraph to
ITS functions is gaining ground. Advo.
Gates are springing up everywhere.
The other day Senator Hill, Of Colo
RADIO, delivered an interesting and in
structive speech in favor Of the project.
He showed that under the tariff Of n
franc, or less than twenty cents for
twenty words, the number of internal
messages in Belgium grew from so,216
in 1850 to 332, 721 in 1866. On the LIST
of December of that year the rate was
reduced one-half, and in 1866 the num-
Der of messages increased to 692, 936, or
more than 100 per cent. In 1882 the
number was 1925, 094, in addition to
579, 93l international messages sent and
$40, 92S international messages received,
and 3,095, III messages in the service Of
telegraph, ~postoffce, railroad, navy and
other government departments. In
Switzerland, under a like tariff of one
franc, twenty words, the number Of in
ternal messages had in 1867 reached
so7, 1888. The rate was reduced to half
a franc on the LIST of January, 1858. In
the very first year of the reduction the
number Of messages increased to 1885,
1ss, or more than 100 per cent; and
since that time it has grown to 1884,
2s5 / 1881, in addition to S79, 1927
international messages sent and re-
ceived.
Mr.. Hill further said: "Since the
establishment Of the republic the pro-
gress has been most rapid. N 1873 the
service was amalgamated with that of
the postoffice, and in 1880 the tariff
was reduced to five centimes, or less
than one half cent per word, with a
minimum tariff of fifty confines. The
result of this reduction appears in the
increase of internal messages from 49,
e9S, 1856 In 1879 to 21,210,5l0 in 1882.
In the last named year the French sent
and received also 3 .379, 500 information
al messages. For one franc messages
may now be sent from the north of
France to Algiers, a distance of 1000
miles.
"In Germany the tariff was for a
long time based upon distance. Under
this rate the number of internal mes
ssges in 1872 was 8 1888, 533, and the re-
ceipts from internal messages were
81, 304, S73. showing an average receipt
per message (which ,of course exceeds
the average tariff for the minimum
number Of words) of about twenty
cents. In 1875 the service was ANAL
gamated with the postoffice so COM
pletely that no distinction is now made
In the statistics as to the salaries paid
employees who perform the postal and
teleRraphic services.
I'm 1878 Bavaria and Wnrtemberg,
which formerly maintained separate
telegraphic administrations were
brought into the imperial system. The
present tariff in Germany is n and
one-fourth cents per word, with a fixed
rate Of five cents per message addi-
ttonal. For local messages the tariff Is
one-half cent per word. The number
of Internal messages in 1887 was H.
2o3, sic.
In Great Britain, notwithstanding
the exhorbiant price paid for the tele-
graph, the investment has not proved
IAN Improbable one. Since the date of
the transfer of the telegraph to the
state, January 90, 1870, the length of
the line has been increased from 5,651
miles to 81, 096 miles, and that of wire
from 4s, 900 miles to 1872, All miles. We
quote:
"The number Of offices has grown
from 2,4eS to 5,747, and the number Of
messages from about six million to
naar11 fhtrty- thran wfllfon Much ~
this increase was very sudden, the
number of messages in 1872 having
jumped to about thirty-seven millions.
The popular appreciation of the benefit
deribed from the transfer Of the tele-
gragh to the state was 30 marked that
for a short time the lines. notwith-
standing their great extension, were
clogged with business. This difficulty
was o obviated, however, and the
steady progress of the system has IN
abled the government to pay all the
expenses out Of the receipts, and to
fall but little short of paying the in
terest on the entire investment"
Mr.. HIPS plan, or the bill he favors,
hxes a popular uniform rate of n
cent per word for all distances, with
reduction for the press, and provides
for the transmission OF kilograms by
mail between postal telegraph offices
and post offices where telegraph Offices
are not established under its provision.
Postal-telegraph offices are to be opened
at all places where telegraph offices now
exist by July l, 1887.
Ten cents for a message to Oregon or
California or Maine or Texas.