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288 METHODS OF SOCIAL REFORM.
for any such redaction of ratee as would land us in a financial
loss, not justified by any economical principles.
It might fairly be hoped that the Post office department
would be able to extend its wires to a multitude of post towns
and villages which have not offered sufEcient inducements to
the present telegraph companiee. The number of telegraph
stations in the United Kingdom in 1865 was 1,882, whereas
there were in that year 3,454 money order offices, and as many
aa 16,246 receptacles for letters, under the care of the Post
OfEce. The number of private telegraphic messages in 1865
W~EI 4,650,231, which bears but B small ratio (1 in 155) to the
number of letters in that year, viz., 720,467,007. It is stated
that in Belgium the telegrams are 1 in 73 of the letters, and in
Switzerland 1 in 69. This disproportion is tho less to be
wondered at when we consider, that the telegraphs are only
available in thie country to those who dwell in large towns or
near railway stations. No less than 89 towns of more than
2,000 inhobitants are said to be without telegraph offices, and
among these Cricklade has 37,000 inhabitants, Gateshead
35,000, Oldbury 16,000, Pembroke 15,000, Dukinfield 15,000.
I find that in the whole of the United Kingdom there is on an
average one telegraph st,ation to 16,500 persons; whereas
there is stated to be one for every 15,000 in Belgium, and one
for every 10,000 in Switzerland. It is well known that in the
United States especially, the use of the electric telegraph is
much more general than in this country. These facts seem to
show that the policy of the existing companies has not led to
that extensive use of the telegraph in which we ought to have
been foremost. These companies are satisfied if they can pay a
good dividend on a limited amount of capital, which they avoid
increasing to any considerable extent. They have ceased to
compete one against another, but are able to prevent any
attempts to bring new capital into the field. Under these
circumstances it cannot be doubted that the Government
should immediately carry out the scheme which we have
been considering for the purchase and reorganisation of the
telegraphs.
Some persons might possibly be opposed to this extension