Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-08
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.

Some Interesting Facts About the Present
Government Telegraph System In England.
Washington correspondence United States
Mail
The State Department has received
some valuable information from it's
consular representative at Bristol,
England, regarding the Government
telegraph system of England and
its workings. This is especially
interesting just now in view Of the
prospective effort at the coming session
Of Congress for the adoption OF gov
ernmental system Of that character in
this country. The report begins by
detailing the opposition offered to the
adoption Of the system and the purchase
of private lines, which are striking in
their similarity to the objections which
have been urged in this country.
The opponents of the measure were,
as they are here at the present mo-
ment, chiefly the telegraph CON-
panies, which urged that the appro-
priation of their property, just as they
had succeeded in establishing it and
making it profitable, was a great out
rage. They also claimed that the Gov
eminent would not foster the inven-
tons and research and the growth Of
the system and electrical science as
private companies would that there
was danger of the system being prosti-
tuted to political purposes, and that
secrecy would be impossible.
The result of the fourteen years.
trial Of the system has been to dispel
all doubts in favor Of its value, even in
the minds of these who had so viyor-
ously opposed it in the first place.
The bill for its purchase did not COM
pei the sale Of all lines, in so many
words, but was so shaped that it re-
suited in the sale Of all the companies.
1t is allowed to each the highest
quoted price that their stock had
brought in the market on any
day during the year that the
purchase took place Qs6S), and
added to that the estimated profit for
term Of twenty years, making liberal
allowance for the prospective growth Of
business and the profits. The rssultwas
that the Government pail al emo 10
mously high figure for the lines Oh IN
existence, the average rate pad being
s4lG.56 per mile, while the $4,000
miles Of wire owned by France at that
time cost her but t65.77 per mile, or
only one SIKH AZ much. The amount
paid foT the '-is--~@sA 20 THEN Ia ca
istcnce 10 the United Kingdom was over
s32, 100000. The rates established
were twenty-four cents for twenty
words to any part Of the United King
dom. Where the parties addressed
were not residing at the telegraph
office, the kilograms we're to be sent by
wire as near as possible, and then for
warded by mail or special messenger,
as ordered by sender, the cost for mes
senger being twelve cents per mile,
there being no extra charge for mail
transportation. The secrecy of the
telegraph was kept inviolate by law
inhicting severe punishment--a year
or more in prison--for revealing the
contents Of any message.
As to the result the report says
"The advantages derived by the pso-
pie were commensurate with The cost.
The telegraph Offices were more than
doubled in number during the first year
Of Government control, and have since
been opened promptly in every place
where the public convenience has re-
quired it. Large additions were imme-
diately made to the mileage and to the
stock Of appliances, and the natural
result Of the increased facilities and
the cheap rate was largely
increased use Of the telegraph. During
the last year the companies had the
wires the number Of messages wss
COCO, 900, and the average annual in
crease during their control Is per cent.
The population Of the United Kingdom
has increased since the transfer In 1870
Is per cent, while In that time the
number Of kilograms has increased
from 5000. 000t 10 $4,000, 900, or over
500 per cent. At the average rate un-
der the companies the Increase would
have been at about half this ratio. In
1871 an average Of twenty-seven letters
was delivered TO each inhabitant Ia the
United Kingdom, against thirty-six in
1888. In 1871 one third Of a telegram
was transmitted for each inhabitant,
against eight-Dinths Of one In 1880. So
we see that while the proportion Of LETT
ters has increased one third, the pro-