PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2662, 29 August 1871, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

Ho. IV.—THE TELEGRAPH.

The Seventh Annual Report of the working and progress of the Telegraph Depart* inent, which is now before us, is, an interesting a document as any that has preceded it. A good deal of useful information is contained in it, the extension of lines, lines in course of construction, and maintenance and repairs being treated in consecutive order. That branch which most affects the public is Finance, and it is satisfactory to find that the cheap tariff which was so inaugurated about 18 mouths since, has had the effect of causing increased use of the wires throughout the colony. In addition to the ordinary tables, a very useful one has been presented for the first time, and it shows the annual progress of the department since 1866. In the words of the report, “This table is well worth attention. In 1866, 27,237 telegrams were sent over 699 miles of line. In 1871, 312,874 telegrams oyer 200 miles of line, or nearly twelve times the number of messages. There were tLeu only 12 stations, now there are 72. The cash revenue was then L 5,581 ; it is now L 22.419. The total value of business done was then a little over L 6.000 ; it no vex* needs L 32,000. The average cost of maintaining the stations remains the same, notwithstanding the great increase of work at the chief offices ; the average cost of maintaining the lines, which was in 1866 L 3 9s lOd per mile grew till in 1870 it had reached L 8 9s lid, but has been reduced to L 5 19s 6d. The number of private, press, and Provincial service telegrams, which, in 1870, was 121,545, more thau doubled itself (253 582) in 1870, ou the adoption of the shilling tariff. The total value of business done, and the total expenditure were, in 1866, L 6045 and L 6377 ; in 1871, L 32,296 a d L 32,598 ; almost exactly the same relation being apparently maintained ; but, whereas, it cost on an average close upon five shilings to send each telegram in 1866, it coat in 1871 a fraction over two shillings.” We are sure our readers will agree that, “on the whole the progress of the last five years, cannot be looked upon as otherwise than highly satisfactory.” Continuing our notice of the financial department, we coma to the money-order telegrams ; and this system, which was established in June, 1870, has now been long enough in operation to enable a fair estimate to be formed of its usefulness to the public, and also of the additional revenue to the department. From a return furnished by the controller (Mr Pagan) it appears that 2,069 telegrams of this class were transmitted during the year, representing in cash the sum of L 9,550 7s lid. Table N of the report shows that Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington, inc uding the amount of business done at their respective sub-offices, stand at the head of the list, in amount of orders issued and paid. Of the commission (L 348 4s) collected by the Post Office, Is on each telegram belongs to the Telegraph department, representing the sum of LlO3 9s ; the balance, L 244 15s shows a profit to the Post Offici ex eel ng 2.) per cent, on the amjunt of the orders issued From the above facts it may be fairly, assumed that the introduction of the system has been a complete success. The principle on which the system is based has also proved itself to b.e perfect in all its details. It is a noticeable fact, and one that bears high testimony to the care evinced by the telegraph operators, that only one mistake in the transmission of these telegrams has occurred. The work of telegraphic extension has been carried ou vigorously during the year. In 1866 there were 699 miles of line in the t olony ; in 1870, 1661 miles ; and now there are 1976 miles. The number of new stations opened during the year was fifteen, the lines being from Mercer to the Thames (Auckland), Tapuaherum to Tauranga via Maketu, Palmerston to Naseby (it was originally intended to have connected Naseby with Alexandra, but it was deemed prudent on further consideration to connect, it with Palmeiston, and a saving of 7s fid per pole was the result), Wallace to Riverton. The lines at present in course of construction are Tauranga tp Kati - is almost completed, and which leave but thirty miles to connect Auckland with the rest of the Colony and Patea to New Plymouth. Since the publication of the report a station has been opened at the Kakanui meat works. The surveys of lines to Akaroa (communication expected to be established in December), and Ross (Westland) have been ordered. It is intended during the present year to open two linesman’s stations, one at Porangahau on the Napier line, the other at Waihemo, a point nearly half way between Palmerston an'cj. Naseliy. The first-named station will sayjj at least ten hours in repairing any break be. tween that place anil Cast’e point and five hours on the Waipukurau side. As regards the station at Waibemo, owing to the Naseby line being 54 miles long, it would not be prudent to depend wholly on the services of the linesman stationed at Palmersaon, as the trunk line would be left during his absence liable to long interruption in case of a breakage. At all the nuw stations the duties of telegraphist and postmaster have been combined, and at five of the number, the additional duty of lineman is done. While thq line stations are most valuable on account of tho facilities which they afforil ‘for restoring communication in cases of interruption, they also, in some instances, add considerably to the revenue of the department. As a rule, married men have been selected to fill these appointments, so that ip them absence on line duty, their wives perform the postal duty. The appointments are very properly given to linemen, who have made themselves competent to perform the duties of an operator, and shown themselves efficient in other respects. As we observed at the outset, the shilling tariff has been the cause of a largely increased business during the year. The total number of telegrams of all codes shows an increase of rather more than G8 per cent, over last year. The total

cash revenue for the year, including incidental recipt?, i»L22,419 8s Bd, being an increase of L5,20l 7s 41 on last year ; and the total va'ue of business done during the same period is 1.32,296 6a 2d. The total cost of maintenance of stations (1.21,254 4s 3d) and of lines (L 11.344 3s 8d) exceeds this sum by L 302 Is 9d ; but the maintenance of the lines includes fully L 3 000 spent on reconstruction, which might fairly be charged to permanent expenditure, leaving L 2.69/ 18s dd to the credit of the department. It is wort y of record that, although the number of miles of line (1,898) exceeds the number in circuit last year by 237 miles, the cost of maintenance has been less by the large sum of L 2776 Is 2d, The manner in which the operators have performed their duties is not quite so satisfactory The number of registered complaints for the year was 41 ; of this number 18 on investigation proved to be groundless; of the remainder, seven were for the delay in the delivery of telegrams ; five for wrong delivery ; and eleven for inaccurate reading; and measures were promptly taken to prevent a recurrence of the complaint. The report says the complaints, which are very large compared with those of last year, have hern occasioned by increased business ; but this is excuse. Press of business does not —at least it should not—occasion inaccuracy on the part of the operator, who not nnfrequently makes a perfect “hash” of a message, from his unacquaintance with proper names, and especially of names of Colonial towns. We would recommend the department to compel operators to give an occasional glance over a geography ; the study, if only for an hour a week, would bo beneficial to themselves and the public. The number of telegrams transmitted during the year, was 812,874, being an increase of 127,451 over the previous year. From a table giving the number of telegrams and letters despatched within each Province during the past year, as compared withjcach of the three previous j ears, it appears that the increase of the per centage of telegrams over the previous year, is rather more than 4 per cent.; and that the Provinces of Southland, Otago, Canterbury, Taranaki, and Auckland, shew the greatest increase of per centage of telegrams for every 100 fetters despatched. The low tariff has undoubtedly been the cause of this great increase.