THE COUNTING OF TELEGRAMS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 119, 5 March 1901, Page 4

THE COUNTING OF TELEGRAMS.

The Christchurch Chamber of Commerce, in a commendable spint of commercial utiliterianism, is about to petition the Telegraph 1 Department for a reform of the j system of counting words in telegraphic messages. The present method seems to be about as logical as the spirit which prompts the German language to accord a girl tlfo p rive lege of the feminine gender, but arbitrarily makes the “ little girl ” neater. At least a perusal of the instructions and illustrative examples which are published with some elaboration for the use of operators would lead to this conclusion. That New South Wales should be one word in the address of a .telegram and three in the text seems to be rather an invidious distinction. Unconstitutionally is two words, but kriegesgeschichten figures as one, aujourn’hui, with tba

apostrophe, counts as two words, but if mutilated to aujourdhui It ranks as one. Around Hyde Park there appears to rage a veritable torment of classification. In its plain, straightforward, everyday garb as Hyde Park it poses as a modest and unassuming two words, and even when the artful dodger comes along who writes Hydepark, an educative and strictly moral department jealous of the purity of the language writes against it contrary to useageof the language, and still demands a two word fee. It is surprising, therefore, to find this attitude abandoned in the case of Hydepark Square, which is still two words. Two hundred and thirty-four is a straight count of five words, but the usage of the language is lost sight of in the magnificent concession of twohundredandtbinyfour as two words. “ Two words” indeed seems to be the constitutional mathematical formula for settling all difficulties of count. Postmaster is two words and stationmaster one, but this, we presume, is a concession to the greater dignity of the services with which the Telegraph Department is allied. Orfe’s grandmother in the form of graud’mere is the regulation “ twins,” but she is divorced to

single blessedness in the form of graudmere. One could multiply such instances indefinitely. The “ Prince of Wales” as “ a ship” is three words, but as princeofwales becomes one. The protest of the Chamber of Comm erce has at least a good solid foundation of commonsense to back it up. For this reason it will probably fail in its object.—Lyttelton Times.