THE TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2584, 30 May 1871, Page 3

THE TELEGRAPH.

A very interesting table, showing the success of Mr Vogel’s plan of reducing the rate of transmission of messages by electric telegraph, is published in the New Zealand Oazettc, under date Gfch .May, 1871. It will be remembered that or ginally the rate payable was according to distance; that this was altered in 18(59, when on the Ist September the rate fixed was 2s Gd for ten words for any distance. In April, 1870, it was s-till further reduced to* Is for ten words ; and the consequence has been that, instead of a reduction of the revenue of the department, it has increased from the sum of L 16,976 in the twelve months, from April 1, 18G9, to March 31, 1870 ; to 1d9,744, f:om April 1, 1870, to March 31, 1871. This gives a surplus of 1/2,767 for the year. An examina tiou of the table shows that an immediate increase in the number of messages did not follow the alteration f;om the mileage system in 1869 : ia fact it may be said to have produced no sensible effect. In that month the number was 14,141. The three following months did not quite come up to that number, and in March, 1870, the highest number in the twelve months was reached, 15,669. But in the next month, when the shilling rate was adopted, there was an immediate and great advance, the number of messages being 19,437—exactly SUOO more than the cones; ending month of the precious ycai*. As a matter of course, the revenue was less by 1.245, and each suceeding month shewed a decreasing d licit until August 1871, when the tide t n T«ed, apd an inciease of revenue was secern d, amounting to L 283 for the month. The next month fell s’iort of this amount by LIOO, but since that time the public have so largely availed themselves of the telegraph, that the revenue for March last exceeded that of the corresponding month of 1870, by L 648, the mini her of messages being nearly doul or 30,443 against 15,66.9 ift 1&71 V We hardly expect the present quarter’s revenue will reach this high amount, as January, February, and March wore exceptional mouths, on account pf tne electipr s.