Liberal Liberalism!

Manawatu Herald, 26 November 1895, Page 2

Liberal Liberalism !

In the Keporfc of the Telegraph Department to Parliament it is shown that the total value df feelegfaph and telephone business for the year ending 31st March last showed a decrease of £4,720 12s 5d or 3.35 per cent 1 This has occasioned the Department a shock and we find the following lament duly incorporated in the Report : — " Since the introduction, in January, 1886, of the present rule requiring that delayed telegrams shall not only be telegraphed during the day but posted for delivery immediately on receipt, the business in this class of telegram has more than doubled in ten years, the number having increased from 265,422 in 1885, to 588,826 in 1894-95, and the proportion to ordinary telegrams risen from 1 to 4.14 to Ito 1.62. On comparatively idle direct country wires delayed telegrams are transmitted almost as promptly as the ordinary or shilling telegrams; and in many country distriots this is so much valued that no other code is used, except in urgent or special cases. As there is relatively an unduly large and everincreasing use made of delayed telegrams under the present liberal regulations, to the evident detriment of the revenue, it becomes necessary to consider what should be done to prevent the receipts from ordinary telegrams being unduly diminished." The Hon. J. G. Ward, PostmasterGeneral and Electric Telegraph Commissioner, to give him his full title, has considered the matter and the result is the astounding information that on and after the first proximo delayed telegrams, instead of being posted immediately on receipt at the office of destination, will not be posted until night and not delivered until the next morning, reverting, in fact, to the practice in force up to December, 1885. This reverting back to a custom in force some ten years old is not a bad example of present day progressive Liberalism. A year or two ago Mr Ward was going to give us a penny colonial postage, which he forgot, and now he robs the poor mac of the delayed telegram. We dissent both to the apt and to the reasons given for making the alteration. The Report admits that "on comparatively idle direct country wires " delayed telegrams are much in use. Is it not better for the Department that these idle lines should be in use instead of otherwise ? The cost of the salary of an operator more or less can stand no comparison with the cost of construotimgand maintaining the line, therefore it must be better that it should be used. Is it at all certain that users of delayed telegrams would resort to shilling ones if the delayed telegrams are practically abolished as they are by the new Edict ? The Post Office competes very success* fully with the Telegraph Department and many country places have an excellent daily mail which interferes with a costly telegram service, and we believe it will be found that the new arrangements will lower the receipts considerable, and thus the pettiness of the act will not be redeemed by its financial results. The determination of the Government to screw the uttermost farthing out of the settlers, under any pretence, so that money can be found for purposes of more personal in-. teresfc to Ministers is again made evident, and surely now there can be no one left who doubts this fact.