PRIVATE AND PRESS TELEGRAMS

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 527, 1 June 1880, Page 3

PRIVATE AND PRESS TELEGRAMS

It is (he intention of the Government to introduce daring the session a bill amending the Telegraph Act, by providing increased facilities for the transmission of Press telegrams in the event of a temporary interruption. At present telegrams arc required by law to be forwarded in the same order that they are presented, irrespective of the possibility of their being delivered. For instance, if the line is blocked until late in the evening and telegrams accumulate, it is of course useless to forward private business messages during the night, as in most eases they would not be delivered until the following morning Press messages, however’, can be sent through on the special wire, delivered until 1 a.m.,and published in the morning papers. But under the present system the telegrams until (he accumulation is disposed of even although it is known they cannot be delivered, and without regard to the possibility that by the lime this is finished it may be too late to forward tire Press messages, which, were they sent, couldbc used at once, whereas the private telegrams would be useless next day. We believe that the new hill will provide for giving precedence to Press messages after a stoppage care being taken that the private telegrams shall not be consequently delayed in actual delivery. This alteration will be a great boon to the Press, and will cause no inconvenience to tho general public.—Post.