Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-07
ENGLAND's POSTAL SYSTEM.

ENGLAND's POSTAL SYSTEM.
Conclusions Reached BY Postmaster
Dayton Of New York.
Postmaster Dayton Of New York, who
has been making a study Of the postal sys-
TEN Of England. In opposed TO govern
ment postal telegraph. Said he to a report
or who interviewed him In London the 9TH
er day:
1T has never seemed to me that the as
sumption OF the telegraph business by the
government in America was a practical
measure. I think SO less than ever now,
since 1 have come In contact with British.
experience on the subject As you know,
they lose heavily here on the postal tele-
graph branch Of the department This is
largely due. I am told, to the extremely I'M
favorable bargains the authorities were
obliged. to make with the railroads when
they took the lines out Of The railroads
possession.
Not only was the price paid very high.
but obligations TO transmit railroad mes
sages free were incurred. which now, with
the enormous and then unlookel-for in
crease of railroad business. simply eat the
heart out of any possible profits on general
public business.
The newspaper rates Cor press messages
also, 1 am Informed. represent an element
or loss. i see no reason to suppose that cur
government would be able to make any
better bargains with the own .rs OF our tele-
graph lines, or that our Newspapers would
be treated with less consideration than they
are here Nor do I discover that the gem
eral public here obtains any conspicuous
advantage over US I'm the matter OF tele-
graph service by TIE fact Of government
ownership
Twelve cents for twelve words to any
point I'm the three Kingdoms is @. course.
very cheap. but out Of these twelve words
you must deduct the name and address 10
Begin with. and in the second place you
must remember that the TERRITORY covered
by this uniform rate is relatively small and
Is all pretty well populated, So that private
enterprise. IL IL had kept the telegraphs IN
us own hands. might have had prices to-
cay down just as low. even lower"
"A good deal Of the London part Of this
telegraph business is not elesrrphedT at an
you KNOW. the reporter suggested.
les 1 know. The pneumatic tube. you
mean. That interested me a good deal.
There are forty miles OF this tubing at
work underground in London, / am told
Inc longest reach is three miles-to the
mouse OF commons. Their average length
is mile. and they are from 2l-2 10 3 l-2
inches In diameter. I had q notion that
they might be figuring here upon adopting
the thing to postal uses as well but don't
1T is in use In Paris. know ana has
been for years-in fact. since is79 They
send Misrepresentation postal card
anywhere In Paris for 80 centimes 90 cents)
ana a sealed letter card for SO centimes 40
cents). and the delivery Is almost as nrornnt
as Is that OF LOCAL kilograms here in Lon
don. 1t seems to be profitable, too. for the
IIlces used TO be 80 and 15 centimes, re-
specuveiy, and have been reduced.
OF course, IL would be a very hie ex-
pertinent Tor New York to undertake be-
cause everything would have TO be done
from the very beginning But Iondon bas
A..
nano' IN the tunnels Of her underground
Ialiway system, which spreads IKE a spi-
n usa,s wee al over. or. rather. under. the
thought she would have started The expert-
ment before this"
Touching the civil service idea. Of cours.
the oinerence which existed between 1Sng~
lsh and American practice say es,nls-
years ago. has been diminished. hn, 7 s,,r,.
pose enough stu remains to attract yopr
fuily, my admiring attention. 4, iS bara
ior an American to realize how comnle,a
the notion of partisanship. offensive or
civil sns, mas oeen eradicated from the
S'n service mere. The postmaster general
Is OF course. a politician. who retires Win
change OF administration When he is
an important public and party man, like
MI. Morley. he has a seat In the cah,ne,
But think of il, Out of the ly5 0Oo ,nsn 81
the postal service OF Great Britain. no, 70
menticn 1000 women, he is positively the
ohis lnuiNluual whose tenure of place can
be affected by any political change.
have devoted some time 10 Investigate
Ing this particular question. 4 haven't
found a case in which any of the Others
seem to have any sharp political opinions
at all. OF course they are perfectly free
TO hold party views. and / FIND some Of
my friends among them belonging to politi,
cal clubs. equivalent 10 the Manhattan or
Union League at home. but of aggressive
craftsmanship / can't discover a trace. II
isn't that they dtssenible Il: they simply
don't feel it-don't know what II Is.
Our examinations Of candidates for an
pointments as carriers and clerks are far
less rational AMI sensible than they are
here. The British examinations are on a
practical basis CT differentiation. They ss-
sumo that the bottom OF the ladder Diff
fers from its top. and they provide for a
slow but sure growth upward in postal
knowledge from very rudimentary begin
nings.
I'VE, on the other hard, make the mis-
take OF Demanding all sorts Of irrelevant
requirements in candidates for minor
places. which would SIN be more ornamen-
tai thar useful TO them IL they were as
piring to the highest posts In the service