CODE TELEGRAMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 227, 25 September 1929, Page 4

CODE TELEGRAMS.

FIVE AND TEN-LETTER WORDS. NEW REGULATIONS. Consequent on the decision of the International Telegraph Conference held at Brussels last year, alterations have been made in the International Telegraph Regu- ■* lations concerning code telegrams, and they will come into force on October 1 next. The alterations have been received by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Th? principal changes are as follows: — The new definition of code language is as follows: —Code language is composed either of artificial words or of real words not used with the meaning normally assigned to them in the language to which they belong, and consequently not forming intelligible phrases in one or more of the languages authorised for telegraphic correspondence in plain language, or, lastly, of a mixture of real words, as defined, and artificial words. Telegrams in code language are divided into two categories, viz.:—Category A: Telegrams of which the text contains code words of not more than ten letters having at least one vowel if they comprise not more than five letters, at least two vowels if they comprise six, seven, or eight letters, and at least three vowels if they comprise nine or ten letters. In words of more than five letters one vowel at least must be in the first five letters, and at least one vowel in the rest of the word, subject in addition in case of words of nine or ten letters, to the minimum of three vowels in all. The vowels are a, e, i, o, u, y. Groups formed by combining two or more words of plain language contrary to the custom of the language to which the, words belong are forbidden. Category B: Telegrams of which the text contains code words of not more than five letters, subject to no condition or restriction as to the method of formation of the words. Figures and groups of figures are not admitted; commercial marks consisting of a mixture of figures and letters are, however, accepted if the sender can prove that they really are commercial marks. Telegrams in category A are subject to the full ordinary rate, those in Category B are charged for at two-thirds of the full ordinary rate, with a minimum charge, in the case of cable messages, as for four words. In the case of radio telegrams there is no minimum charge. The effect of the alterations is that the ten-letter code system is maintained, but that the test of pronounecability is abandoned, and, instead, stipulations regarding vowels are imposed. Along with this alteration in the ten-letter code there is being introduced a five-letter code system at a rcduccd rate. The question of five and ten-letter code telegrams has been considered by chambers i of commerce for some time, and at a meet- . ing of tho council of the Federation of i Chambers of Commerce of tho British ■Umpire, in January of this year, the chairman (Sir Arthur Shirley Bonn, M.P.) said that tho telegraph administrations were , anxious to get rid of the ten-letter word altogether, but it was important that the commercial community should hold on to it tenaciously. He read tho following resolution which had been adopted by S Hub-committee of tho British National 5 Committee, International Chamber of Com- i morco:— 1 hat tho commercial community has no objection to tho five-letter ™Z ] word system being tried as an experiment pari passu with tho ton-letter codo worii system, and it Is prepared to attempt tho threo; v pwol stipulation in tho ton-letter word; but It wishes It to be clearly mderDtood thttt it is strenuously opposed to the Abandonment of tho ten-letter codo word, «t all events. unlets the alteration Involves >io Increase in expenditure to nseru of codo