Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DEC. 8, 1895. Backing Down.

Manawatu Herald, 3 December 1895, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DEC. 8, 1895. Backing Down.

Mr. Ward, in reply to a deputation from the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, said that through the activity in regard to mining the work of the offices had so much increased that the ordinary wires were often blocked. The only remedy for this, if the system of delayed messages was to continue as formerly and the newspapers were to get their telegrams through, would have been a large expenditure for extra wires. He was sorry to have to curtail the privilege, and only did so as a last resource. Now, however, he had under consideration a scheme for a cheaper system of telegrams altogether by putting an end to the discrimination between ordinary and delayed telegrams, and if possible would institute sixpenny messages, with perhaps a fewer number of words than now. If his scheme could be carried out he proposed to have only two kinds of messages, " ordinary " and " urgent." If Mr Ward will give us cheap telegrams and calls them by any name instead of " delayed " they will be just as sweet, and all that is

wanted. Mr Ward ignores his Report to Parliament and all that therein is said, as he urges totally different excuses for hi 3 action in regard to these telegrams. It is now the fear of the ordinary wires being blocked, whereas in the Report it was urged that the delayed telegrams were taking the place of (not blocking) the ordinary telegrams " to the evident detriment of the revenue." Mr Ward further is answerable for Parliament having been informed through his Report, that the last year's telegraph business, compared with 1893-94 showed a falling-off in both urgent and ordinary telegrams, owing to the depression in general trade, and therefore the unhappy " delayed " telegrams could nofc then have been the cause of blocking the lines. It is asserted in the Report that the whole objection to the " delayed " telegrams was on the score of revenue. The alteration jusfc instituted has only been made in the hope that more money may be made out of the arrangement. Though the Report admits a decided improvement in the telegraph business since April, still it is unlikely to be as yet greater than it Was in the year 1898---94 when the revenue the Department admits was " abnormally high," and no complaints of the lines being blocked was then heard. Mr Ward is most likely " backing down," and if we get cheap telegrams we do not desire to prevent him backing down as far as he pleased.