The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-22

letters o. or less, and will also charge
one word for any single private sign,
such as q dash or n question mark.
Protests are pouring into New York by
the thousands against the change. but
the companies refuse 10 heed them and
will put the rule into effect, Their
reasons are given in the following of
hcial circular:
All groups OF letters. when such groups
do not form dictionary words and are
not combinations OF dictionary words VIII
lbe counted, in iand-linc kilograms. at tn.
rate OF five letters. or fraction OK hvG
letters. TO a word and figures. decimal
points and bars OF division will be count
ed. each separately. as one word, Note
The rules relative 10 the count of cable
grams are not changed these rules being
governed by international agreements.
The above mentioned changes do away
with the rule that each letter. In an ar
bitrary, unpronouncca6le combination
must be counted as one word. hut do not
affect words taken from the dictionaries
Of the various languages and used ras
code words, Such dictionary words viii
continue TO- be counted as one word each.
The rule as amended applies 10 groups
OF letters forming artificial words; and
also applies to groups OF letters made mp
of combinations Of misspelled or nbbrc-
Waited dictionary words. In short, ali
combinations OF letters contrary to the
usaSes OF the various languages are made
subject 10 the vc-letter count When
such groups are made up by combining
dictionary words. each dictionary word
so used will be counted.
These amendments OF the rules In re-
gard TO count have been necessary be-
cause. under the rules heretofore In force.
four or five artificial words have been
arbitrarily combined TO make one ten
letter group. the result being that the
telegraph company has been called upon
TO transmit, At the price OF one word.
such combinations as bNcizafyih, becona-
lint, benewamvay. bobIlaltck, bilefamusp.
etc.
II must he obvious. even to laymen.
that the correct transmission of such
combinations Of letters is extremely dlf-
ficult and expensive because IL necess!-
tates very slow sending on the part OF
the operator, Notwithstanding which, the
liability OF error (due TO imperfect sig
nails resulting from weather conditions,
etc. remains great, the text being abso-
luteiy unintelliglblc To the operators.
Therefore, the delay TO other kilograms
and the cost TO the company handling
such combinations at the present rates
and existing count ara very heavy. and
kilograms containing such com binations
are Improbable, when handled at the
present count.
In an interview An Official Of the
telegraph companies is reported to have
said:
The telegraph companies feel entirely
Justified in placing u ban upon certain
kinds OF code words, and when our pa
irons come to understand fully our rea-
sons they Will withdraw their objections.
we believe To this end explicit lnstruc-
lions have been sent out 10 all agents
in the past. he continued, the telc-
graph wires have been clogged with i'm
possible artificial word combinations, the
outgrowth OF years OF laXity, to the great
dctrment OF the service. The evil be-
came so great that IL simply had 10 be
checked. as any fair minded patron viii
admit
This official thought that there was no
possibility Of the companies abrogating
or materially changing the new rules