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3m
JfETHODS OF SOCIrtL REFORM.
Scndamore attempted to shorn their groundlessness. Yet
they have been vorified. I ought to add that one member of
tho Select Committee, namoly, Xr. Goschen, appeared to be
fully aware of the red financial characteristics of the scheme
brought before them ; he evidently foresaw the results of the
negotiutions, nnd was in a minority of OII~ in protesting against
some of tho prir~cipal resolutions of the Committee.
I come now to inquire what must bo done under the circumstances.
I regret to observe a great tendency in the
public utld the ncmsprrper press to treat tho matter lightly, on
tho ground that n qunrtcr of a milliou is nothing to the
English Covornmeut, and that we get the value back in conveuiencc.
lissuuiing, for the present, that the loss is only a
quurtcr of :L rnillion, wl~icll I much doubt, I may observe that
tllc 1n~.Jllly might Lo spent better. tl~an in p:fying for noerlless
telegritms. Spent, for ~IIS~UIIC~, upon scientific investigation,
and the Iligller. ccluc:~tiun of tl~e people, it woulcl return results
i~~cornp~rrrbl~ 1110ru iwportatlt, und wuuld place this country at
tho lletrd of the civilis;Ltion :~11d intelligence of the wodd.
]Jut whetI1c.r. or IlcJt 111c)nc’y sl~(.~uId LC spent in other ways, I
hold that it is bat1 in pri1lciple to iucur :L loss upou work which
can Lo so rcadily m:de to p y its own expenses. If the
country tllitlks littlc of :L quarter of n, million annually, it is
because its fiunnccs ltnve Iwen rr~gulated on souud principles,
rtnd our position r~~ulcl I1nvc been very different had we many
affairs on 111u1d likc that, of the Telegraph Department.
Mlinny ~-ould be quite ready to arglle, with Ur. Edwin
Chndwick, that there is ~wdly 110 loss at dl, because everyone
who setltlv n telc~grnnl probably saves n~ore in time and convcllieucc
than the cost of tllu Ine$snge. But if this be EO, then
I ask, Why shoulcl other pcople be hsed to pay for this profit
aud convenience ? If it is so great an ad~antage to be able to
send R message at nny moment, why cannot t,he sender pay
the real working expenses of the work, just as we pay the full
cost of loaves and legs of mutton ? We must pay ultimately
in one may or another, :~nd I see no particular reason why me
should be tnrcd to pronlotc the sending of messages, rather
than o hundred other useful things. So doubt many of the