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THE POST OFFICE TELEGRAPHS AND THEIR
FINANCIAL RESULTS."
THERE is no need to describe t,he course of events which led,
in February, 18i0, to the actual transfer of the tolegraphe to
the postal department, and to their reorganisation and extension,
at the cost of the public. The public aro practically
aware of the fact that they have, in every money-order office,
a conveniently situated telegraph office, whence they muy, at
the cost of R shilling, send R messagc to any town or almost
any village in the United Kingdom. The messages appear to
be generally delivered with speed anit regularity, and most
people are satisfied, so far as I can gather.
Under the fostering carc of a Government department, the
traffic has indeed grown enormously, the number of ordinnry
messages sent in a year being now about 20,000,000, instead
of 6,000,000, as it was just before the t.ransfer. The intelligence
transmitted for the newspaper press has been multiplied
more than a hundredfold, from 2,000,000 to 22,000,000 of
words. According to it statement which went the round of
the newspapers, tho number of ofices has been increased from
about 2,000 to little short of 5,600. The telegraph lines now
extend over 24,000 miles, with 108,000 miles of wire, compared
with 5,600 miles of line, with 49,000 miles of wire, and
bhe average price of a telegram has been reduced from 2s. 2d.
to 1s. 2d. The number of telegraphic instruments haa been
e " Fortnightly Review," December, 1875, vol. xviii pp. 826835.