The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1881.

Kumara Times, Issue 1521, 12 August 1881, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1881.

Only so late as last Wednesday, we extracted from the Christchurch Press two paragraphs to which we prefixed the heading “ Feats in Telegraphy.” The one was an unparalleled performance as regards the length of a telegraph message—consisting of the entire revised New Testament, word for word, transmitted to the Chicago Times from New York on the 22nd of May last, and which occupied nearly 89 columns out of the 176 of that one day’s issue. The second paragraph we quoted as complimentary to the telegraph officials at and between the “ Empire City ” of New Zealand and the “ City of the Plains,” going to show that the time occupied in transmitting the Chicago message, allowing for proportionate number of wires, took nearly twice the length of time which the New Zealand Colonial Treasurer’s Financial Statement occupied in its transmission last month between the cities alluded to. But to onr sorrow, and the lesser satisfaction of our readers probably, we have to complain that this consoling ■ reflection on the part of our New Zealand operators does not always hold good. For instance ; on Wednesday last, at 4.30 p.ra., a telegram was delivered at this office from our special correspondent at the Seat of Government, which was despatched from Wellington at 2 p.m., and, naturally enough, intended for insertion in our evening paper on that day; but we were just going to press as it arrived, and consequently it did not appear till the following day. This telegraphic “ feat ” was repealed again yesterday, when another message was despatched from the Wellington office at 2.4 p.m., for transmission here. This reached the Kumara station at 5.35 p.m., at which hour the paper for which the telegram was intended was in the hands of most of our town readers. Three hours and thirfy-one minutes for 402 words ! Now we know very well from the comparisons given that it is not the length

of the message which consumes the time: 402 words can be transmitted in 20 minutes j and, allowing for repeating at Blenheim, and Grey mouth, the time taken need not have been more than one hour. It must obvious, too, to the department that such telegrams, to be of use, should be delivered to an evening paper as early as practicable in the afternoon. We might go on to point out how, when telegrams are a day late, the news is often anticipated by four-horse coaches bringing East Coast papers with the same news in print. We are quite aWare that at times there may be a pressure of pTivate business preventing press messages tak" ing their turn; but it should not be forgotten that a press telegram is for the benefit or knowledge of hundreds of readers. We trust that this matter, which we fear is occasioned more by neglect than any want of aptitude or ability on the part of the operators concerned, will receive attention in future from the department.