Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-08-27
Telegraphie Charges.

Interesting accounts have been re-
ceived at the postofiee department
from Henry George, Jr., newspaper
correspondent now supplying a syn
dIcate of American daily newspapers
with letters from England touching
the postal telegraph system in that
country. He says the charge for tele-
grams TO all parts of the United KING
dom is one cent a word including the
address, the minimum charge being
twelve cents for twelve words or less.
Ordinary postage stamps are affixed
to the messages in payment. A mod
crate additional charge Is made when
the addresses live beyond the limits
of the free delivery. kilograms can
be repeated at half their original cost.
Tho cost of a reply not exceeding
forty-eight words may be prepaid, and
reply form" is then delivered to the
addressee, who can send his reply
frs.m any telegraph Office within two
months. Five figures are counted as
one word; in this country the tele-
graph companies count every figure a
word. AS a measure of economy
where many messages are likely to be
sent, an abbreviated or arbitrary adj
dress may be registered for five dol
lars year. In addition to these di-
rect benefits, the people enjoy very
substantial indirect advantages such
as result from a cheaper service for
newspapers and news agencies.
The rate for news messages to all
parts of the kingdom is a cents for
every 100 words transmitted between
p. m and 8 a. m, and during the
day it is 25 cents for every rs words,
with the additional charge of 4 cents
per hundred, or IS words. according
to the hour, for every duplicate
telegraphic communication. A cor
respondent in London with 300 pa
pers on his list, for instance, pays for
sending out piece of news after p.
m. at an average rate of fraction
over 4 cents per hundred words. In
this way, Mr.. George says, the vast
bulk of the news telegraphing is done.
The Delaney multiplex is one of a
number of American inventions in use
in England, by which it is possible to
send out six messages over a single
wire at one time. The British COY
eminent pays $4,000 a year royalty
on it. Although it has been in profit
able use there five years, it has been
steadily refused in this country where
the companies have no need of inven-
tons that would increase facilities and
reduce charges. (Their) A prodig-
ious amount of work, in an incredibly
short time, is accomplished IN the
English postal telegraph system by
the Wheatstone automatic process.
This is an English invention, trans
uniting 400 words a minute, and is
used In newspaper telegraphic work.
Since the government regulation of
the Telegraph lines IN England, The
number of telegraph Offices has been
increased from 2, 4S8 to 1900, the rates
have been reduced more than one-half,
and press rates cut down to fraction
over cents per hundred words; and,
more important than all that, the SER
vice has been equally and impartIally
cheap to all. Universal sentiment, &C
cording to Mr.. George, testifies to the
immensely greater convenience and
efficiency of the postal telegraph sys-
tenn, and no one would ever think OF
going back to the old plan of private
companies. Mr.. George thinks that
as good, if not a better, postal tele-
graph system could be established in
the United States.