REPORT ON FRENCH SYSTEM. 
 
 Mr. Scupamore, Hotel Brighton, Paris, 16th June 1870. 
 
 In obedience to the instructions conveyed to me in the Postmaster General’s 
 Minute of the 10th ultimo, [ have the honour to submit the following Report upon the 
 result of my inquiries into the working of the French telegraph system. 
 
 Before however I proceed further, I think it right to state that I approach many 
 subjects in my Report with very considerable diffidence, as, for instance, in touching upon 
 some of the working arrangements of the French system itis not unlikely that from 
 want of a practical acquaintance with telegraph engineering, my Report will not be so 
 complete as might be desired, and for the same reason I fear it is not likely to bring to 
 light anything in those arrangements which is not already known to the Engineer to the 
 Department. 
 
 2. To commence with Paris, it would appear that there are only 50 stations open for 
 the receipt and despatch of telegrams, and in this respect the telegraphic accommodation 
 for the French metropolis does not compare favorably with that afforded in the City of 
 London where upwards of 260 offices are now open. Of the 50 stations referred to, 12 
 are worked by pneumatic tubes which are laid down in such a manner as to serve the 
 busiest portions of the town, and the tota] length traversed by them is equal to about 
 114 English miles, which distance is travelled by the carriers in about 12 minutes. 
 The carriers consist of a brass case,—not unlike in size and shape, a large kitchen 
 clock weight —which is placed inside a tightly fitting case made of hard leather; and after 
 many experiments this form of carrier has been found to be the best adapted for the 
 service. | 
 
 Messages handed in by the public are copied and the copies are placed with addressed 
 envelopes in the tube, together with a list showing the number and different destinations 
 of the messages. ‘The sending station retains the original message form until the close 
 of business, when it is sent to the chief office in order that the charges upon it may be 
 checked. 
 
 Each station is furnished with a Morse instrument by which it can communicate with 
 the head office if necessary, as for instance, in case of such an accident as occurred at the 
 Bourse office whilst I was there, and which was produced bya carrier having been 
 placed in the tube with the wrong end first, causing the leather case to come off and 
 stopping the communication for six hours. I am informed, however, that such an 
 accident is of very rare occurrence. 
 
 In the establishment of a Pneumatic System the first outlay is, of course, very great, 
 - but the French administration are so impressed with its superiority, as a means of com- 
 munication by which the risk of error and delay is considerably reduced, and which can 
 be worked with a comparatively small staff, that it is in contemplation to extend the 
 tubes to nearly all the 50 offices to which I have referred. 
 
 3. At the head office a staff of skilled workmen are employed to repair at once any 
 instruments which may become disabled, and a small staff of clerks are also kept in 
 reserve at the same office for the purpose of taking the place of others who, from 
 pressure of work, or other causes, require assistance, either at that office or at any distant 
 station. 
 
 4, I may mention that the officer in charge of the instrument room for London com- 
 plained of frequent inattention on the part of clerks at the English end of the Dover and 
 Calais cable, especially between the hours of 4 and 5 o’clock in the afternoon. He was 
 aware that the Post Office was not to blame in the matter, but I thought it right to 
 make a note of the circumstance for Mr. Scudamore’s information, especially as the 
 inattention complained of was so serious as to sometimes necessitate the messages being 
 sent by another route. 
 
 5. A large number of the wires which serve the City of Paris are conveyed along the 
 sewers, close to the crown of the arch, in leaden pipes, supported at short intervals by 
 brackets fixed to the stonework. 
 
 6. A proper set of tools, and a small supply of spare material, such as wire, screws, 
 
 &c., are kept in reserve at all offices, and the clerks at all the offices are required to have 
 A 2 
 
 Plan enclosed. 
 
4 
 
 a knowledge of the mode in which ordinary repairs to the instruments should be effected ; 
 and it has probably occurred to Mr. Scudamore that a similar knowledge might, with 
 advantage, be required of future candidates for the English Telegraph Service. 
 
 7. [had an opportunity of visiting the depdt where the stores are kept for the Paris, 
 as well as for the majority of the provincial, offices. Engineering stores, message forms, 
 and office stationery of every description, are all kept under the control of a storekeeper, 
 assisted by four clerks and a large staff of permanent labourers. In order that the stock 
 may be readily checked, and that no time may be lost in despatching it when applied 
 for, the bulk of it is kept ready packed, in cases of every size, and adapted to the 
 requirements of offices of every description. 
 
 8. Fir is principally used for the manufacture of telegraph poles, which are injected 
 with sulphate of copper, which is found to be equally as serviceable and not so expensive 
 as creosote. 
 
 9. With regard to the Regulations for the Transmission of Messages it would appear 
 that in the case of messages for the interior, written in a foreign language, the French 
 practice differs from the English, inasmuch as it does not make any additional charge for 
 messages of this description, with the exception of those written in German, and which 
 are, as in England, charged for by the syllable, as it is possible in that language to 
 include several words in one. If, however, a message is written in characters with which 
 the clerk is not familiar, such as perhaps Greek or Hebrew, he can compel the sender to 
 translate it; and perhaps under a similar regulation it may be considered desirable to 
 imitate the French practice, for it may reasonably be presumed that if French clerks find 
 no difficulty in transmitting English messages, English clerks should be competent to 
 transmit messages written in French or Italian, as the case may be, and that without 
 extra charge. 
 
 Should the circumstances appear to warrant such a course, a clerk is authorized to 
 call upon the sender of a message to prove his identity, and for this purpose the French 
 regulations require two witnesses, both known to the clerk. This practice it appears is 
 frequently made use of in the case of telegrams referring to important monetary 
 transactions, but it is a question whether the identity of a person would not be sufficiently 
 established by the testimony of one respectable witness. The fact of a sender’s identity 
 having been proved will of course be inserted in the message if he chooses to pay for it, 
 but the Administration do not hold themselves responsible for mistakes or fraud in this 
 or any other respect. 
 
 If an addressee refuses to pay porterage the telegram is not delivered to him, but if he 
 pays what he believes to be an incorrect charge he has only to make his complaint to 
 head quarters and the matter is enquired into. 
 
 The sender or receiver of a message is entitled to a certified copy of his message on 
 making a payment of 50 centimes. 
 
 10. Within the City of Paris no charge is made for delivery by ordinary foot 
 messenger. ‘he charge for porterage, however, in other parts is 50 centimes per 
 kilometre, or 5d. for every 1,094 yards when the addressee resides beyond the limits of 
 the “ octroi,” which may be said to correspond with the English “ town free delivery.” 
 This charge is not levied according to the distance as the crow flies, but according to the 
 nearest thoroughfare to the addressee’s residence. As the manner in which distance 
 should be reckoned was questioned by the public in several instances before I left 
 London, I thought it desirable to note the practice pursued on the continent in this 
 respect. 
 
 11. The charge for the transmission of a message of 20 words within the same 
 department is 50 centimes, and from one department to another 1 franc. The name of 
 the sender, and the name and address of the receiver being included in the first 20 words ; 
 and for each copy of a telegram, no matter whether the original cost was 1 franc or only 
 50 centimes, a charge of 50 centimes is made. 
 
 12. With regard to the number and kind of instruments used in France, it would 
 appear that in round numbers there are— 
 250 Hughes instruments. 
 2,350 Morse instruments. 
 1,650 Cadran (dial) instruments. 
 17 Meyer’s automatic instruments. 
 
 An improvement has recently been made in the Hughes instrument by substituting a 
 
 spiral steel spring for the “tige vibrante” or vibrating rod. In France this part of the 
 instrument has hitherto been made of a mixture of aluminium and brass, and has seldom 
 
i la Pai 
 
 5 
 
 lasted more than 10 days. I saw one of the new springs, however, which had been at 
 work for two months and was stated to be in as good order as when first used. 
 
 The manner in which messages received by this instrument are gummed and placed 
 upon the message form, appeared to me to be quicker and cleaner than when done with 
 the ordinary gum brush, viz., as the strips of paper are cut into their proper lengths 
 they are rapidly passed over a wooden drum, which revolves in a small iron trough 
 which is supplied with liquid gum in sufficient quantity to keep the drum always moist. 
 One of these contrivances accompanies these papers. 
 
 13. In addition to the Hughes Instrument the French Government make considerable 
 use on their important lines of Meyer’s Automatic Instrument, the advantages of which 
 are,as Mr. Scudamore is aware, that you are enabled to have the fac-simile of your 
 writing produced at any other office at which a similar instrument is in use; and in France 
 the kind of messages generally sent by it are those relating to stockbroking, or any 
 other kind of business in which it is of the highest importance that no error should occur 
 in transmission. It also affords the receiver of the message an opportunity of checking 
 its genuineness by examining the fac-simile of the sender’s signature. 
 
 The rate for transmitting messages by this instrument is not charged by the number 
 of words, but by the size of the paper upon which the message is written. The price of 
 a message written on a piece of silvered paper of the same size as the accompanying 
 specimen is 3 f., and for other sizes in the same proportion. 
 
 To : 12th June 1870. 
 A. Fould, Paris. 
 
 Buy 150 Telegraph Construction Shares, at 30}. 
 
 F. M. Hodgson, 
 Lyons. 
 
 
 
 The cost of one of these instruments is about 40/., and they are capable of sending on 
 an average nearly 30 messages an hour. ‘This comparatively slow rate of speed however 
 is probably the greatest obstacle to its introduction in England, where, if used at all, it 
 would only be required on important circuits, which would become blocked unless a 
 higher rate of speed could be attained; and as an increase in the charge for the trans- 
 mission would necessitate an alteration in the Telegraph Act, it will probably not be 
 considered worth while to disturb existing arrangements for the sake of the advantages 
 possessed by this kind of instrument. 
 
 14. The clerks in the French Telegraph offices appear to have many more forms and 
 abstracts to keep than are used in England, and although I have gone very carefully 
 
 _ through these forms, I am unable to suggest anything which I think it would be useful 
 
 to adopt ; on the contrary the forms appear to provide for more information than would 
 be required in England, the particulars of the messages being entered and summarised 
 with great minuteness. 
 
 The fact of ‘“ Interior” messages having to be recorded separately from “ Inter- 
 national” messages, necessitates a certain amount of additional work. I should, how- 
 ever, prefer leaving this and all other matters bearing upon the Vienna Convention 
 until I have had an opportunity of examining the practice of the Belgian and Swiss 
 Administrations, when I will submit a separate report upon the subject. 
 
 15. The total number of the permanent staff employed in the State Telegraph 
 Service is 3,709, receiving pay to the amount of 278,628/. per annum. ‘The force is 
 composed almost entirely of males, and may be described as follows :— 
 
 25 superior officers. 
 2,491 telegraphists. 
 1,193 messengers and linemen. 
 
 The duties proper to the different grades into which this force is divided and sub- 
 divided are regulated by instructions issued from time to time by the Director-General. 
 The head of each telegraph office is held strictly responsible for the maintenance of 
 proper discipline, and with this view he is empowered to impose fines to the amount of 
 four days’ pay per month for mistakes or bad conduct; any punishment beyond this 
 having to be ordered by the Director Shay 
 
 3 
 
 Specimen sent. 
 pl ett eA 
 
 Specimen 
 enclosed. 
 
6 
 
 16. The number of telegraph offices open in the beginning of 1870 was 2,779, or 
 one office to about every 13,674 persons, this statement, however, is rather above the 
 mark as I have not been able to get a later return of the population than 1866, when 
 it stood at 38,000,000. The question, however, of combining post office and telegraph 
 business under one administration is now under consideration, and in the event of such 
 an arrangement being effected the number of stations will no doubt be largely increased. 
 
 17. The total length of wire is nearly equal to 72,000 English miles, exclusive of 
 355 miles in submarine cables. 
 
 18. The number of messages sent during 1869 was 5,346,151, being an increase of 
 1,335,840 over the number for 1868, or about one telegram to every seven persons. 
 This proportion is very much lower than in England, where if the estimated number of 
 messages be reached, and which, judging from the weekly returns, will be the case, the 
 proportion will be rather more than one telegram to every three persons, taking the 
 population at 31,000,000 and the number of telegrams at 11,000,000. 
 
 19. The total of 5,346,151 telegrams, however, include the very large number of 644,120 
 official messages sent by the various public departments, and it is probable that in con- 
 sequence of the Plebiscite the number of messages of this description will be still higher 
 for 1870. The only messages included in this 644,120° which were charged were 
 ‘ International Embassy Messages,” and as I have not the means of knowing how many 
 messages there were of this kind, it may perhaps be thought sufficient in arriving at the 
 average cost of a telegram in France if I put down the number of messages in question 
 as equal to the odd 44,120 or about 850 a week. 
 
 20. This would leave the number of paid messages at 4,746,151, and as the gross 
 revenue for tlie year was 10,683,763 f., the average sum received for each message would 
 appear to be 2 f. 25 c. 
 
 21. The expenditure for 1869 is stated to have been 9,660,679 f., exclusive of the 
 sum of 3,039,954 f. expended in the establishment of entirely new lines, with the 
 necessary offices, and in the extension of the pneumatic system for Paris. Of course, 
 if this latter sum be charged to revenue, the result is a deficiency of 2,016,870 f. on the 
 whole year. The particulars I have just given will, perhaps, be more clearly seen on 
 reference to the accompanying table. 
 
 Frencuo TELEGRAPHS. 
 
 
 
 Total 
 
 Num- Length 
 ber of jof Wire. 
 
 offices 
 
 Number and Description of 
 Instruments, 
 
 Number and Description 
 of Messages. 
 
 Popula- 
 tion in 
 
 2,779 
 
 1866. 
 
 
 
 
 
 to Population, 
 
 grams to Popu- 
 1869. 
 Average sum pro- 
 
 lation, 1869. 
 duced by each 
 telegram. 
 
 Works in 1869. 
 vice in 1869. 
 
 tenance, 
 
 Descrip- 
 
 tion. 1868. 
 
 Miles. Morse. 1869. 
 
 Number of Tele- 
 Number of Offices 
 Number of Staff. 
 Total Cost of Staff. 
 Total Cost of Main- 
 Total Cost of New 
 
 Hughes. Cadran.| Meyer. 
 
 
 
 
 
 » | Total Cost of Ser- 
 
 = 
 ° 
 
 t 
 t 
 & 
 
 Interior. |2,916,734/4,082,680 
 
 * 
 
 1 to 
 38,000,000) 1 to 7°1! 13,674 
 ey TY, 
 
 Sa 
 
 bo 
 
 Inter- 25 
 
 national. 
 
 Official. 
 
 72,855 17 
 TInclud- 
 ing 855 
 
 miles of 
 wire in 
 
 sub- 
 marine 
 cables. 
 
 250 2,350 | 1,650 586,448) 669,351 3,709} 278,628 | 115,720 
 
 
 
 The figures in 
 these two co- 
 lumns are per- 
 haps slightly in 
 excess of the 
 correct aver- 
 ages, as I have 
 been unable to 
 obtain a later 
 return of the 
 population than 
 1866. 
 
 
 
 507,129) 644,120 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Totals - |4,010,311!5,346,151 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 | 
 
 
 
 
 
 * In striking this average the 600,000 unpaid official messages (paragraph 19 of Report) have not been taken into account. If they had been 
 included, the average would have stood at 2 f. a message. 
 
 22. As the number of complaints received from the public indicate to a great extent 
 whether they are satisfied with the manner in which the service is performed, I have 
 been anxious to obtain a return concerning them ; as, however, I find that only a portion 
 are dealt with at the head office,—the others being disposed of at the chief provincial 
 offices, —I am unable to subinit such a statement as would enable me to estimate the 
 proportion of complaints to telegrams, which in England during the past month was 
 1 to 809. 
 
 23. Before leaving Paris I had an opportunity of inspecting a Morse instrument and 
 battery which had been used for military purposes during the last Prussian campaign. 
 The instrument and battery were each rather smaller than those used for commercial 
 purposes, and were neatly packed in a case like a soldier’s knapsack, and which was 
 intended to be carried in the same manner. 
 
 » | Gross Revenue for 
 
 1869. 
 
 121,598 | 515,946 | 427,353 
 

 
 y 
 
 7 
 
 defective, but No. 2 was found to answer well the purpose for which it was intended. 
 24. In conclusion, I may state that all things considered the French telegraph system 
 
 does not appear to afford the public the same advantages as are enjoyed under the 
 
 £6 
 
 “2 
 
 Va tra 
 
 \ 
 4 
 
 ry. 
 Y1914 1 \& 
 
 
 
 
 RA A 
 min 
 
 
 
 ay 5 
 
 
 
 English system, either as regards the rate for the transmission of messages ; the number 
 of telegraph stations to the population ; or in affording to the press any facilities for the 
 transmission of news messages, which are charged the full ordinary rates. 
 
 By having to pay for the name and address, the number of words which can be sent 
 for the minimum charge is practically limited to 13 or 14. 
 
 The greater amount of trade carried on in Great Britain will, to a certain extent, 
 account for the difference which exists in the amount of telegraph business transacted 
 in the two cuuntries, and which difference will be seen by the following statement :— 
 
 Number of paid telegrams in France in 1869 - - - - 4,702,031 
 Number of telegrams in Englandin 1865 - .. - - - - 4,662,687 
 
 It would thus appear that the number of messages sent in France during the year 
 1869 only exceeded by 39,344 the number sent in England five years ago when the 
 lines were in the hands of the iate Telegraph Companies. 
 
 MALCOLM J. BROWN. 
 
 - Tenclose two specimens of the cable used during the war. The wire of No. 1 proved bessineys 
 enclosed. 
 
* Vide page 2. 
 
 Map enclosed. 
 
 REPORT ON BELGIAN SYSTEM. 
 
 Mr. ScupAmoreE, Hotel Belle Vue, Brussels, 4th July 1870. 
 
 I nave now the honour to submit the result of my inquiries into the working of 
 the Belgian system of Telegraphs, and to facilitate reference I have shown by the 
 accompanying Index* the manner in which I have arranged my Report. 
 
 Some of the statistical information which I have obtained may not perhaps be of any 
 practical use at present, but I thought it desirable while on the spot to collect as much 
 information of this description as possible, in order that when the English system has 
 been in work for one year we may have the means of comparing the progress which it 
 has made with the progress made on the Continental lines. 
 
 2. One of the causes which has, no doubt, contributed to the regular and easy working 
 of the Belgian system is the fact of the traffic being so evenly distributed over the whole 
 country, which contains but few large centres of industry which are likely to overcrowd 
 the wires with messages at uncertain intervals. 
 
 3. The line which carries the largest number of wires, as will be seen by the enclosed 
 map, is that which traverses the country from Ostend on the west to Verviers on the 
 east, but it will be observed that the majority of the wires are not for the interior but 
 for the international traffic. 
 
 4, The total length of the lines, which are principally erected along the railways, is 
 equal to 2,613 English miles, and the length of wire to 8,302 miles, of which 7,237 are 
 on the railroad, and 1,065 on the high roads. 
 
 5. About half the railways are in the hands of the State, and by the end of the year 
 the proportion will be greater. ‘This, of course, gives the Government great advantages 
 in the saving of office rent and force, and they have also been very fortunate in their 
 arrangements with the private railway companies, by which those companies agree to 
 give rent, fuel, and the partial services of a large staff of clerks, in return for the use of 
 one or more wires to be worked for the railway business solely. In addition to these 
 advantages the companies also undertake the delivery of messages free of extra charge 
 (except at some few small stations) within a radius of one mile and a quarter from the 
 railway station, the cost incurred in this delivery being covered by the sum of 10 cen- 
 times per message, which is allowed to those companies who transact business on behalf 
 of the Administration. They are, however, paid 30 centimes for each of the first 100 
 messages sent every half year. The right of way for men and materials is also secured 
 to the State for the same consideration, not only for the repairs of lines on railways, 
 but also for the purpose of proceeding to the nearest point for the repair or erection of 
 any road lines. 
 
 6. By the Belgian law the consent of a landlord or tenant is not required for the 
 execution of works on their property, and no peppercorn or other rent is paid, the amount 
 due for damage actually done being the only compensation afforded to the proprietor 
 over whose property the telegraph may have been erected. ‘The extension of new 
 lines being thus rendered comparatively easy, it is not surprising that they have been 
 carried into almost every place in which there is a probability of any work being done 
 at all. 
 
 7. Out of the 438 offices now open, 160 last year only sent an average of four 
 messages per week per office, or about 23,000 messages altogether. 
 
 8. The low rate for the transmission of messages, viz., 50 centimes for 20 words 
 inclusive, however, of names and addresses, has placed this means of communication 
 within the reach of nearly all classes; and, as will be seen by the following table, interior 
 messages are for the most part composed of those relating to domestic affairs, while on 
 
 
 
eee. A ee ee be ll 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 a SLEGENDE. 
 heseau Principal 
  Reseau Secondiare: 
 PLA RIIEO LD Uae, ee ee 
 Lonoury R DES hea 
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 Crtral a Bossy. ove ie 
 oe ae a Howl. TCC 
 | a Lon Grand L Hotel Boe RLS Oe 
 | Bo Ol) ay 0 ab Avenue eee ee SL, 
 ae Mh Napolton a LOTS i, TOGO i 
 S? Peres a Crtral . tei 
 
 
 
 Total. 0713" SO 
 SRESEAU SECON DAIRE. E. 
 
 y Bourse @S.S. Roussedit......... GIO” 
 i 7 SAS Rousstait aV Maudriettes.. JBOO”* 
 V Haudriettes Chateau da Fae. W0B2.7 
 ateau dhiauaPlorte SE’ Denis = IIB" 
 MeO GIS CLOUSE.. 2. HOG™. 
 LULL ANOS or mie 
 
 
 
 
 
 EM BRANCH EM ENT. 
 Bossy ain hamps Li ea Vibes See 
 Total... H60”" 
 
 
 
 
 
 SS ee > 
 
 
 
 
 
 Res EAU“SECONDAIRE . F. | 
 
 DOMES DA DOLE Ssh ict @IID 
 
 Lilayeee aMonimarce............ MOD” | 
 Mononartre aGarelNord....... w#30”" 
 Gare Nord 05 ® Chl)... VOBF™ 
 WS LIED OLT SEL, nt IBD 
 SENET DE 
 
 Total Gener be MEFGECO i 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 Tus ES Wes SPHERIQUES. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ADEraR BUREN TNE yr 
 ms A 2.3. 50. 5, 52. ég 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 es part: 8 BS. B30.. BIS, B30. 8-46, 
 eae ; 
 ; ~ es a2 
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 MS ( - “org LLSCOM it Tincipal 
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 KW LON = SS Chiteww tee ee | | L107 ACOH US meee | 
 \SS es 277 a Ny Pog ee | 
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 A ar ak es eee Coral a Bowsy SLL, 
 H+ 10 LAS | ‘ — : 
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 ) Napoléon. \ Ai (eae ee ae DLS" SO 
 Na i Wqpolton aS? Peres... TO90”” 
 See N We  Liras a Crtral et —L2FO” 
 (te ua 
 i : H 7 Wy L heure de depart da Iran ig eee = | Fital. ~ O18" BO c 
 — AK \ {WY Station. est inctiupnece “par la formitt + Hy Hitters Colle Bali eee Syn il 
 i; ah \\ ON \ \ J 7S ae Epes Vie depart Le LOT seu St (ecile.f IN\(2 FES EAU “ECON pai RE. es 
 : ential N 58 Fores du Central a.2 le nombre de minitles *>, > crest |e ia (1) = : 
 © H+? Gmplementares. | IN ee td i: Bourse i) S Roussedi,....... G90” 
 : SAS. Lousseat aV Maudrettes,. JBO007* 
 7 oe I’ Taudriettes. 0 Cuiteu d Fat. JOB27” 
 : = Chateau dad Frau alorle SDs 9937 | 
 | Torte S' Deus a Bourse... fog” 
 SOUL DIT 
 : 5 [ aM hau 1) a 
 $ | rf 
 Zs Eye ey Res EAU “BECONDAIRE . F. 
 Meee se YK HM Bours @ Latayile | weet 
 Champs Elysées . Os ecg Litayete &@ Montmartre... #09” 
 ; | eee re Montmartre aGare Nord... fe. 
 aoa ve | rhe, Gare Nord @.S% Gilt 1084" 
 S? Cattle: @ BOUTSCo po GBS 
 eee a yay 7 AEM BRANCH EM ENT. 
 f ae ~ L | inte i di A _ i ; . Me : 
 iS ee a ef OR i pal // of Z Bossy aux Champs Lilysees. M60”° 
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 | Sey ye Total. 160" 
 \| ae @) y 
 a i. a // 
 = | / is 
 | | / 207 LOA 
 . -/ | /) Loti Ceneral . asm  OFIIOO 
 Sea Shey) . / if 
 ae Sa j {| 
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Cha 
 
 Lbys 
 
 Champs | 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 9 
 
 the other hand the larger proportion of the international traffic is composed of telegrams 
 referring to commercial matters. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Description of Message, Number of Messages, 
 Interior “ = - 1,108,837 
 International - - - 425,676 
 Transit _- - - 188,173 
 
 Total - |... 1,722,686 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 CoMPoOsITION OF MESSAGES. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Description. Interior. International. 
 Diplomatic and other fh messages 4 per cent. ? per cent. 
 Bourse - _ “ . 5 3 123 9 | 
 Commercial ~ z 2 342 x 561 r 
 Private affairs - - - 59 ¥ 281 ” 
 Press news ns - A 1 q gl i 
 Total - -| 100 a 100 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ninety-four per cent of the interior traffic was composed of messages under 20 words 
 each. 
 
 9. The inland revenue, as Mr. Scudamore is aware, when regarded by itself, does not: 
 pay, but the loss is more than made up by the profit accruing on the international 
 receipts. ‘The gross revenue for the year 1869 was 1,322,771 francs, and the expenses 
 were 1,298,915 francs, leaving a net profit of 23,856 francs. 
 
 10. It has been found in Belgium that a reduction in the rate for inland messages 
 produces a large increase in their number without a proportionate expense, and the result 
 of a reduction in the international rates has been found to have a directly contrary effect, 
 viz., a small increase in the number, with a comparatively large outlay. 
 
 This may perhaps be in part accounted for, first, by the fact of the international 
 rates, even when reduced, being comparatively speaking high, in consequence of their 
 having in most cases to pay toll to each country through which they pass; and, 
 secondly, because telegrams are not generally sent abroad except under such circum- 
 stances as to render a shilling more or less of no vital consequence; whereas the interior 
 traffic, being principally composed, as shown in the foregoing table, of messages of a 
 domestic character, and therefore more numerous, sooner recovers itself from the loss 
 incurred through a reduction in the rate for transmission. _ 
 
 11. By an elaborate calculation which has been published in the Report of the 
 Minister for Public Works, it appears that if the rate of increase, during the first five 
 years after the establishment of the Belgian Telegraph System, had been maintained, 
 and if the reduction in rate which was effected in the sixth year had not been made, the 
 total number of telegrams sent up to the close of 1869 would have been only 2,219,163, 
 against 7,636,943 the actual number. It may perhaps, however, be a question whether 
 in this calculation sufficient allowance has been made for the rapid development of the 
 railway system, and, with some few exceptions, in trade generally, during the past 
 14 years. 
 
 io. From 1851 to the present time the sum of 2,449,657 f. has been spent in the 
 construction of new works, and the revenue during the same period has been sufficient to 
 pay the regular annual expenses, in addition to the cost of the works referred to, and 
 has also produced a surpius of 581,843 f. iN 
 
 13. The total number of instruments is 795, and of this number 694 are Morse; the 
 more important lines, however, are served by the Hughes Type Printer, and the h= ‘nce 
 of the 795 is made up of dial instruments. 
 
 26192. 
 
10 
 
 14. The staff, which is composed of 480 clerks and 502 messengers, cost in 1869 
 1,148,915 f.; and during the same year the sum of 150,000 f. was expended in main- 
 tenance, or about equal to 15s. per mile of wire. These two sums, 1,148,915 f. and 
 150,000 f., added together, represent the total expenses for the year, viz., 1,298,915 f. 
 
 15. I now beg leave to direct attention to some of the principal regulations of the 
 Belgian Service, and they may perhaps in some cases suggest improvements which it 
 may be considered desirable to adopt. 
 
 A. In order to encourage the clerks in the correct performance of their duties, a 
 system of rewards and fines has been established, which appears to work well, judging 
 from the fact that only 2°5 messages per 1,000 are found to contain mistakes, and that 
 only 137 cases occurred last year in which it was found necessary to return the amounts 
 paid for messages which had been incorrectly transmitted. The total number of appli- 
 cations, however, were 207, but in 70 cases it was found that the applicants had insuffi- 
 cient grounds for complaint, the Administration declining to return money in cases’ 
 where the sense of the message is not destroyed. | 
 
 The fact of the Government not being in any way responsible for the consequences of 
 errors made by their clerks is legibly printed on the face of each message form. A 
 clerk is allowed a gratuity of one centime for correctly performing each of the following 
 duties, viz. :— 
 
 1. For transmitting a message. 
 
 2. For receiving or reading off a message. 
 
 3. For correctly writing down a message and addressing the cover. And for— 
 
 4, Making the proper charge ; examining the message to see that it is legibly written ; 
 
 and entering the number of words to be signalled. 
 
 On the other hand, however, the following fines are inflicted for mistakes, viz. :— 
 One franc, for mistake or omission in inserting the number of words on the form, or 
 in entering the time of receipt; or for receiving a telegram written illegibly. —° 
 
 Five frances for taking an incorrect amount for a telegram. 
 Ten francs for either of the foregoing errors, if not remedied when discovered. 
 20 francs for omitting to forward a telegram. 
 
 Each clerk furnishes a daily return, showing the kind and amount of work which he 
 has done during the day, and in the event of his making an error in this statement, he 
 forfeits all claim to any gratuity for that day. 
 
 The rewards are paid half yearly if a favourable report on the conduct of each clerk is 
 made by the head of the office. 
 
 B. The Morse paper bands are sent to the Administration daily, accompanied with a 
 memorandum giving the name of the office and operator, the date, and the number of 
 the wire. Should the band by any chance get broken it must be repaired by the senior 
 telegraphist present. One reason for this regulation is to endeavour to prevent clerks 
 who have been “ quarrelling” on the instrument, from destroying the band upon which 
 their messages are recorded. Any clerk receiving a message not on the business 
 of the State, and omitting to report it, incurs the same punishment as the clerk who 
 sent it. 
 
 C. In the event of several messages being handed in to:a clerk at the same moment, 
 he places a number upon each, and the clerk at the instrument sends them off in 
 numerical order. 
 
 D. In the case of insufficiently stamped telegrams which have been placed in letter 
 boxes, the clerks are directed to, if possible, strike out superfluous words, and so bring 
 the number within the amount paid for. 
 
 E. The public are requested to leave a space between different sentences of the same 
 message, as mistakes are apt to occur if they are not distinctly indicated. Of course 
 with the forms in use in England a separate space could not be spared for this purpose, 
 but the same object would be attained if the first word of each new sentence were begun 
 with a capital letter. 
 
 ¥. By paying a double fee a person can have his message sent before all other 
 messages which have only paid the ordinary rates. 
 
 G. With regard to messages, the replies to which have been paid for, the Belgian 
 practice appears to me to possess considerable advantages, viz., a special telegraph form 
 is given to the receiver of the message, who can use it a¢ any office during the succeeding 
 six months, or, if he prefers it, he can cash the form for the amount which it represents. | 
 

 
 a 
 
 1} 
 
 H. No facilities exist for the transmission of press news, which is charged, as in 
 France, the full ordinary rates; and this is probably the only part of the Belgian system 
 which appears to be less liberal than the English, and which no doubt accounts for the 
 small supply of telegraphic intelligence to be found in Belgian and other foreign 
 newspapers. ) 
 
 I. Time signals are despatched at 7 o’clock each morning from Brussels to all stations. 
 
 J. Messages received after 9 o’clock at night are charged a double fee. 
 
 K. Nocharge is made for the delivery of messages within a distance of two kilometres, 
 equal to nearly an English mile and a quarter, but beyond that distance and under five 
 kilometres the charge is one franc, and half a franc for each additional kilometre. 
 
 L. In the event of an addressee being out, a form is left at his house, informing him 
 
 that if he will sign and return it to the Telegraph Office, the telegram will be delivered 
 to him or his servant. 
 
 M. In the case of an addressee not being found, the sender is as soon as possible 
 informed by telegraph. 
 
 N. Boy messengers in the principal towns have been receiving pay at the rate of 
 10 centimes a message, but as this is found to be too much, it will shortly be reduced 
 to five centimes ; their weekly earnings, however, being made up to five francs a week, 
 should the number of messages fall off, which is frequently the case in the winter. 
 
 O. The correspondence with the public respecting delays and irregularities in the 
 transmission of messages is to a great extent conducted, as in France, by means of 
 printed forms, which have been drawn up to meet the majority of cases, and-in most 
 respects they resemble the forms already in use in the Telegraph Department of the 
 English Post Office. 
 
 I may add that with regard to delays, the rule is still in force by which the money is 
 returned if the telegram is beaten by the post. 
 
 P. Many of the telegraphists in the Belgian offices are youths of not more than 13 
 or 14 years of age. 
 
 16. The population in 1868 stood at 4,961,644, and in examining some of the statistics 
 of telegraph work for 1869, it will perhaps be sufficient for the object in view if the 
 population for that year be reckoned as 5,000,000. ‘This would give a proportion of 
 1 telegram to every 2°9 persons, or, as nearly as possible, the same proportion as is 
 likely to be obtained in England during the present year. (See paragraph 18 of French 
 Report.) 
 
 17. In all calculations in the number of messages I have excluded service messages, 
 of which there were 315,722 during the past year, and the bulk of which are composed 
 of telegrams respecting the service of trains and other railway matters. The Govern- 
 ment offices, unlike those in France, have not the privilege of sending free messages, the 
 accounts for all messages not paid for at the time of despatch being rendered quarterly 
 to each Department. 
 
 18. The number of telegrams to letters is as 1 to 23, and the proportion of offices to 
 population as 1 to 11,416. 
 
 19. It is no doubt in consequence of the lower rates charged in Belgium that tele- 
 graph business is so much more active in that country than in France, which although 
 possessing a population more than seven times as large, only sends three times the 
 number of messages, and I am unable to find anything in the proportion of offices to the 
 population in either country to sufficiently account for this difference. ‘These facts will 
 perhaps be more clearly shown in the following statement :— 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Country. Population. | Brlaton Number 3 ae sdiawe: 
 France - - - 38,000,000 1 to 13,674 5,346,151 
 Belgium - - - 5,000,000 1 to 11,416 1,722,586 
 
 
 
 
 
 The total number of foreign telegraph offices with which Belgium can communicate 
 directly and indirectly is 11,943. 
 
 
 
 B2 
 
 — 
 
12 
 
 I enclose a return showing most of the figures which I have quoted in this Report ; 
 and in conclusion I beg to furnish the information to which Mr. Scudamore refers in 
 the following extract from his Report to the Postmaster-General in 1868, upon the 
 proposal to transfer the telegraphs to the State :— 
 
 
 
 
 
 Extract from Mr. Scudamore’s Report, in which the Belgian Tele- 1866 1869 
 graph Returns for 1866 are referred to. (See page 156.) / : 
 
 
 
 “During the coming years we shall in all proba- | fr. ct. | fr. et. 
 bility have — 
 Ist. The existing average produce of each kind 
 of message, Viz. :— 
 
 Inland messages - - - 0°59 0-54 
 International messages - - 1:20 1:06 
 Transit messages - - - 1:42 1°45 
 
 2. A reduction of the cost of each unit of work 
 [the labour involved in an inland, an inter- 
 national, and a transit message being respec- 
 
 tively as 5, 3, and 2] - - - - | 18:08 TTS 
 
 3. A reduction on the average loss on each inland 
 message - = = = - 0°31 0°32 
 
 4, An augmentation of the profit of each inter- 
 national message - - - - 0°66 0°55 
 or transit message ” - - - 1:06 111 
 
 
 
 Breician TELEGRAPHS, 1869. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total = x] Ss 3S 5 q & = £ 5 
 i Ss ~ Ss 
 Length .seription *, 2 ve 3d nS s nm DM 
 Num- | of Line| No. of tare baie : Popul | 8 | & |8z Es .|Se| 2 % = 3 
 ber of | fine, | Instra- an tim | £2 | s |e“elodetse| = | 3 | #8.) 2 : 
 Offices. ments, | — _| (1868). ES, oa StS 289) 2.5 2 a Og o 3 a 43 
 Descrip- cf P= Sse S38 Ss | 2 S83 ee = Pe! 
 i aS, I > > q = 
 Miles. tagaes 1868. 1869 = 5 g be & 5 iS) eo e 3 & 
 ” fic. | feet ae oes f. f f f. 
 a bs 
 2,613 : o8c| 054/032] 480° 
 — Interior. | 972,038 | 1,108,837 Loss. |———— ' 598,739 
 438 795 Inter- 376,699 425,676 | 4,961,644 |1to2°9| 1to | 051|106/ 0 55 1,148,915 | 150,000 | 1,298,915 450,576 | 23,8 
 national. 11,416 Profit. 
 <3 Messen- 
 ire gers 
 8,302 Transit. 153,862 188,178 034) 145)111 502 273,456 
 Profit.| —-—— 
 Totals - | 1,502,599 | 1,722,686 1,322,771 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 In the above figures the number of service messages (815,722, paragraph 17 in Report) has in no case been taken into account. 
 * Population for 1869 estimated at 5,000,000. 
 
 The cost of each description of message has also been reduced from— 
 
 Cents. Cents. 
 90 in 1866 to 86 in 1869 for Inland messages. 
 54 % 51 s International messages. 
 36 ty 34 + Transit messages. 
 
 The profit in the case of international messages for 1869 is greater in the total amount, 
 although smaller on each message, than in 1866, in consequence of its being spread over 
 a larger number of transactions. 
 
 MALCOLM J. BROWN. 
 
13 
 
 REPORT ON SWISS SYSTEM. 
 
 Mr. Scupamore, Hotel Victoria, Berne, 23rd July 1870. 
 I now beg leave to submit the result of my inquiries into the working of the Swiss 
 Telegraph System. | 
 
 2. A very good idea of the general arrangement of the lines will be obtained from the 
 accompanying map, which, however, not having been corrected since 1867, does not 
 indicate every office to which the wires have been carried, but it is sufficiently accurate 
 to show the principle upon which they have been laid out. Starting from Geneva in the 
 south-west the main lines take a north-eastern direction, serving the principal stations of 
 Berne, Olten, and Zurich, and leaving the country near St. Galles. Smaller, or, as they 
 ere called, “ omnibus” lines branching off at frequent intervals to serve the less important 
 offices. 
 
 3. Instead of indicating a wire by quoting the names of the towns between which it 
 runs each wire is numbered, and as there is only one series of numbers for the whole 
 system, it can be readily seen, when a number is called, which wire is referred to, the 
 particulars in each case being printed against the number of the wire on a list provided 
 for the purpose. 
 
 4. The opening of new offices is regulated on a somewhat different principle to that 
 adopted in other countries, viz., the Government as a rule do not establish a telegraph 
 station in a village or other place until they have received an application from the 
 district authorities asking them to do so, and these authorities have to pay the sum of 
 100 francs a year for the first 10 years towards defraying the expenses of the new office, 
 and also to find the poles up to the number of 200, the State providing wire, instru- 
 ments, &c., and paying the salary of a clerk to the amount of 120 francs; but if he 
 cannot be obtained for that sum the authorities have"to pay half the expense beyond the 
 120 francs. 
 
 I have noted these details carefully in order that, when comparing the English and 
 continental systems, we may be able to ascertain which country on the whole offers 
 the greatest advantages to the public; and it is evident that, in examining this subject, 
 we must not be guided too much by the lowness of the tariff, which, for instance, in 
 Switzerland is 5d. for 20 words, inclusive of names and addresses, for if the charges I 
 
 have referred to are taken into account it would appear that the cost of each message is 
 
 not correctly represented by the amount paid by the sender for its transmission, more 
 especially in the case of,those offices which do not send more than one message a week, 
 and which constitute about 12 per cent. of the whole number open. 
 
 5. Of the 459 offices working at the beginning of the present year, 63 were at railway 
 stations and 396 in the towns and villages. ‘The offices at 24 places, which are only 
 frequented by travellers in the summer season, are closed in winter. 
 
 6: The railway companies receive 25 centimes on each forwarded message, and this 
 sum has to be borne by the sender in addition to the ordinary rate, and if the company 
 have to send the message by hand to the nearest telegraph station the charge is increased 
 to 50 centimes. ‘The district authorities in which the railway stations are situated can, 
 however, get rid of these surcharges by paying the State an annual sum of 100 francs 
 for 10 years, in which case the Government pays the company the 25 centimes per 
 message. The authorities in question have, however, only availed themselves of this 
 arrangement in 16 cases out of 81. 
 
 7. A great number of offices are opened at hotels, which in many villages m Switzer- 
 land are the principal houses in the place, and, as might be expected, the correspondence 
 for the most part consists of tourist arrangements. 
 
 For the privilege of having a telegraphic office at his hotel, the proprietor has to pay for 
 the poles, which cost would in any other case fall upon the community. I should state 
 here, however, that this expense is not great, averaging about four francs a pole, and which 
 sum includes the cost of injecting it with sulphate of copper; he has also to find office 
 room, fuel, light, and a person to work the instrument, and to pay a yearly sum of 
 20 francs to the State, in return for which he receives a payment of 10 centimes upon 
 
 B 3 
 
 Map enclosed. 
 
14 
 
 each message forwarded or received. It will, therefore, be seen that the cost of 
 extensions of this description falls very lightly upon the public revenue. 
 
 8. In 1867 the sum of 20,000/. was borrowed for the purpose of carrying out new 
 works, and 14,520/. of this sum has now been repaid with interest at the rate of 4 per 
 cent. This sum of money was borrowed to provide for the increase of business which it 
 was anticipated would follow the reduction in rate from one franc to half a franc, and which 
 actually doubled the interior traffic in the first year (1868), and during the second year 
 there was a further increase of 19 per cent. Another effect of the reduction was to 
 necessitate the opening of a much larger number of offices, of which, at the beginning of 
 1868, there were 361 in all, against 459 at the end of 1869. 
 
 9. The number of messages sent last year was 1,369,424, of which 951,337 were 
 interior messages, 308,905 were international messages, and 109,182 were transit 
 messages; and the revenue derived from these messages, and from sundry receipts, 
 amounted to 1,053,350 frances, viz., 513,721 francs for interior messages, 339,795 francs 
 for international messages, and 121,192 francs for transit messages, and 78,642 francs from 
 miscellaneous receipts; the cost of the service for the same period being 923,104 francs, 
 of which sum 599,240 francs were paid in salaries and 323,864 francs on maintenance and 
 new works, leaving a net profit of 130,246 francs. 
 
 10. Previous to 1869 the Morse instrument was the only kind used, and of which the 
 State now possesses 708, but in the course of last year eight of Hughes’ Type Printers 
 were placed on the principal lines. ‘The rate of speed attained on the Morse instrument 
 does not appear high, 20 messages of 20 words each being reckoned a very large number 
 for one hour’s work. ‘The work generally, however, is apparently very well done, judging 
 from the number of applications made by the public for the return of money paid for the 
 transmission of messages which have been incorrectly sent, and of which only 271 were 
 received in 1869. Of these 271, 81 were found to have insufficient grounds for complaint, 
 and money was returned in the remaining 190 cases to the amount of 349 francs, of 
 which sum the manipulators in fault were called upon to contribute 157 francs. Other 
 complaints were of course received, but only those in which application was made for the 
 return of money have been taken into account. ‘The discipline of the staff is well main- 
 tained, any error or misconduct being punished by fines, and a quarterly report on the 
 conduct of each telegraphist is made by the head of the office. 
 
 11, There are altogether 20 superior officers and 587 manipulators and messengers. 
 The country is divided into six districts, every district being superintended by an 
 inspector, whose duty it is to visit each office twice a year and to see that the lines are 
 maintained in good order. ‘The forms of report which they have to fill up provide for a 
 very complete examination. | 
 
 12. There are 100 women employed in the telegraph service, and if they pass satisfac- 
 
 tory examinations they are able to compete for promotion on the same terms as male: 
 
 operators, who in addition to possessing a thorough knowledge of the instruments, are 
 also obliged to understand one language besides their own. ‘Twenty-five learners are 
 taken on annually after an open competition, and placed in a telegraph office for six 
 months, during which time they are instructed in the use of the instruments and the 
 working of the office generally. During the period they are on probation they receive 
 no pay, but at the expiration of that period, if their conduct has been satisfactory, they 
 commence on a salary of 1 franc 50 centimes a day. Each learner has to find bond for 
 500 francs, and when he is established it has to be increased to 3,000 francs. 
 
 The messenger force is paid partly by a fixed sum per month and partly by a sum 
 equal to 1d. for every message they deliver, the two payments together in the larger 
 towns varying in amount from 10s, to 25s. per week per messenger. 
 
 13, Messages are delived free, when the addressee resides within a quarter of a league, 
 and when a message has to be sent beyond that distance a charge of 5d. per half league 
 is made for foot, or one franc for mounted, messenger ; the amount to be paid for porterage 
 being entered on the envelope. 
 
 14. The mode in which the message forms are dealt with is simple and well adapted 
 for a system which is comparatively small, and where the majority of the offices send 
 very few messages a week, but I do not think it could be imitated with success in any 
 country where the work is carried out on a larger scale. The forms are carefully 
 examined every night by the head of the office and checked against the abstract, which 
 much resembles those used in the English offices, and they are then tied up in a bundle 
 for the day, but are not sent to the head office until the end of the month, when they 
 are examined by a staff appointed for the purpose, who see that the proper amount has 
 been affixed, in stamps, to each form. 
 
 ~ 
 
 ee e~ 3 
 
| & 
 
 Ss 
 
 15 
 
 There are only two kinds of message forms used, the *‘ Received ” form being also used 
 for messages which have to be transmitted. Lach office is supplied with a credit stock of 
 stamps, and the money which is derived from their sale is sent to the head office to 
 purchase a fresh supply when the stock is reduced to a certain limit, and except under 
 these circumstances, no account of the receipts and expenditure is sent to the head 
 office more often than once a month. ‘The post office and telegraph work is kept 
 in every respect entirely distinct. 
 
 15. The number of money order telegrams in 1869 was 7,821, but no special record 
 is kept of the amount which they represent. The limit for such telegrams is 500 
 francs if addressed to a principal office, and 300 francs for the smaller offices, and 
 the charge is the ordinary rate plus 20 centimes for the first 100 francs, and 10 cen- 
 times for every additional 100 francs. In case of fraud the loss falls upon the Post 
 Office which, however, being also a Departinent of the State, it does not much signify, 
 so far as the Government is concerned, to which office the loss is charged. 
 
 16. The regulations of the Vienna Convention are adopted for the Interior Service 
 with one exception, viz., money paid for a reply which is not sent will be returned to 
 the sender at any time between 8 and 15 days trom the date upon which it was depo- 
 sited ; whereas according to the Convention, the money should be handed to the receiver 
 of the message to whom the sender must look for the return of the money. 
 
 17. The majority of the offices are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., but by paying an 
 extra fee of one franc, a message can be sent from a principal office up to 12 o'clock 
 at night, and for two francs a message can be sent from any office at any time; the 
 sender, however, taking the risk of the message being properly delivered, and the 
 amount of the extra fees going towards the remuneration of the telegraphists concerned. 
 This arrangement could not be adopted in England unless each office were provided with 
 an alarum. 
 
 In the event of a telegram being insufficiently stamped, the receiver has to pay 
 25 cents in addition to the sum required to make up the correct amount. 
 
 A very useful plan is adopted by the Administration of causing all notices to the 
 public and instructions for the guidance of clerks, to be numbered, printed, and bound up 
 in yearly volumes, which being fully indexed, render it easy to refer to any particular 
 notice. 
 
 18. I beg leave to enclose a table, similar to those which I prepared for France and 
 Belgium, showing the principal telegraphic statistics for Switzerland for the year 1869, 
 by which it will be seen that the proportion of telegrams to the population was as 
 nearly as possible one telegram to every two persons, and that the number of offices was 
 1 to 5,960 persons. 
 
 Swiss TELEGRAPHS, 1869. 
 
 
 
 of | 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19. I had an opportunity when at Berne of examining a statement of the total 
 receipts and the total expenditure during 1869 of nine of the principal States of Europe, 
 with the exception of England and Russia, and I found that the difference between the 
 two totals only left a balance of profit of 169,423/. The interior receipts, it appears, 
 seldom if ever pay the expenses of the interior traffic, which have to be made up out of 
 
 the International receipts. ‘The loss in Switzerland on each interior message is esti- 
 B 4 
 
 ' Pcs a laoal j 4 tke a ’ 
 Total Si l-SS 18S hee a be wf Be [ebors 
 Length Number and Description Peale al bs tees to oliceeres SE ae s n SH n 
 Num- jof Line} No. of gi e SOM} os: | Ba. 3.5 7) S ws % 
 berof | 4" Instru- SE eee Popula-} 25 el ek ae q | ee] % 2 s&8 + 
 Wire. tion.* | aS) 2 Ba Oe |i o's bikin tal Jail, pom: Sope 3 5 
 Offices. ments. IR; ae gai) 68 | a 2/22 ileer| 3 | > }CfZ| Oy s 4 
 E Blas] Beal §°%s (Hon! | ee ee o 4 
 Mile Descrip-| i g¢g 1869 |e |e3 | Sh) S85) sss (ssa) 8 | £ | SS) 2 5 ‘S 
 8. tion. ‘ : ae |o |m |< < qj A BH jen le fa Ai 
 | ri. Paya hee : a 
 tes | fr.ct. | fr. ct. | fr. ct. francs. | francs.| franes.| francs. | francs. 
 2,839 Interior. | 798,186 |} 951,337 0 78! 0 54] 0 2&4 
 eS | Loss. 
 459 716 sinter 282,627 | 308,905 |2,736,430,1 to 2 | 1 to ‘1to26 0 47| 1 10| af 6s 607 | 599,240 | 323,864 | 923,104 | 1,053,350 | 130,246 
 : 5, | Profit. 
 Wire ‘ | 
 6,140 Transit. 72,279 109,182 OF GL ibe LE 10) GZS 
 ee Profit. 
 Totals - | 1,153,092 | 1,869,424 | 
 
 
 
 * No return of the population has been taken since 1860, when the numbers stood at 2,510,494; in order, therefore, to arrive at an estimate of the number 
 for 1869, I have assumed that the average annual increase since 1860 has been equal to 1 per cent., which would make the number for last year 2,736,430. 
 
16 
 
 mated at 24 cents. The following statement shows the average cost, produce, and 
 consequent profit or loss on each kind of message :— } 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Description of Profit or 
 Message. Cost. Produce. | Loss. 
 
 fr. .ct, fr; sct, fr. ct. 
 
 Interior - - 0 78 0 54 0 24 
 
 Loss. 
 
 International - 0 47 1 10 0 63 
 
 Profit. 
 
 Transit ~ - 0 4o1 Da ALO, Dino 
 
 Profit. 
 
 
 
 20. In many respects the Belgian and Swiss. systems closely resemble each other, as 
 for instance in the compulsory powers which are held in each country with regard to the 
 erection of telegraph lines on railways; in the amount charged for the transmission of 
 messages ; in the absence of any special facilities for the transmission of press news; and 
 in the total length of the lines and wire in each country. 
 
 In comparing the English with the Belgian and Swiss rates, we must not lose sight of 
 the fact that the charge of 5d. for 20 words is practically a charge of 5d. for 13 or 14 
 words, owing to the names and addresses being counted as part of the message; we must 
 also take into account the much greater distance over which a message can be sent in’ 
 Great Britain for a minimum charge; and it will be found that when the number of. 
 additional offices which it is in contemplation to establish in the United Kingdom, have 
 been opened, that the proportion of offices to the population will be greater than in 
 Switzerland, where at present it is higher than in any other country, viz., 1 to 5,960. 
 
 I have on a previous occasion represented to Mr. Scudamore the very great readiness 
 with which the Viscount de Vougy placed at my disposal every facility which he 
 thought would further the object of my visit to Paris; and I have now only to add that 
 I experienced the same readiness and attention at the hands of Messieurs Fassiaux 
 and Vinchent at Brussels, and from Monsieur Lendi the head of the Telegraphic Admi- 
 nistration at Berne ; and I need hardly state that however imperfect these reports may 
 be, they must necessarily have been much more so, but for the pains which those gentle- 
 men took to oblige the Department by giving me all the information I required. 
 
 MALCOLM J. BROWN. 
 
 
 
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 Uyeteg ayer a « atin 
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 252: Re eer aa 
 
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 7 
 
 
 
 17 
 
 THE REGULATIONS OF THE VIENNA CONVENTION, 
 
 Mr. Scupamore, Sth August 1870. 
 In the course of my inquiries into the Telegraphic arrangements in France, 
 Belgium, and Switzerland, I have been careful not to lose sight of that portion of my 
 instructions in which I am directed to ascertain what would be the effect to the English 
 Government if it were to become a party to the Convention of Paris, the regulations 
 
 of which were revised at Vienna in 1868; und I now beg to submit the following report 
 on the subject. 
 
 2. It has been said that it is only as a matter of courtesy that we are allowed to 
 participate in the reductions in rate which are made from time to time by various 
 Foreign States, but as England transacts a very large amount of foreign telegraphic 
 business, it is obviously as much to their advantage as to ours that any reductions in 
 the charges for international messages should be extended to this country. 
 
 3. By the terms of the Convention each contracting party is free to make whatever 
 rules it may think fit for the working of its internal traffic; with a few unimportant 
 exceptions, however, the Continental States have adopted all the regulations of the 
 Convention for their internal as well as their international work, and in a system where 
 most of the States are connected with each other by unbroken land lines it is clear 
 that it would be as undesirable to have more than one set of instructions, as it would 
 be in Great Britain to have separate regulations for Scotland; but m other respects the 
 case is altogether different as. regards this country, the foreign telegraphic business of 
 which is necessarily carried on by means of submarine cables worked by an independent 
 Company. 
 
 4, This Company, as Mr. Scudamore is aware, has always been, and is now, guided in 
 its working arrangements by the rules of the Vienna Convention, and so long as it 
 remains a private undertaking and manages the international traffic, accounts, and 
 correspondence, leaving the English Government entirely free from any responsibility 
 attached to the forwarding or receipt of messages to or from the Continent, I do not 
 see what advantages the Government would derive by joining the Convention ; whereas 
 on the other hand in the event of our doing so, Foreign States would no doubt desire 
 to communicate direct with the Post Office in all matters relating to irregularities in the 
 transmission of messages, the settlements of accounts, &c., and a large amount. of 
 correspondence would thus be thrown upon the Department which is now done for it 
 by the Submarine Company, 
 
 5. It does not, however, follow that, because the British Government does not join 
 the Convention, that our regulations respecting the transmission of international mes- 
 sages should not, as far as possible, and where it can be done without much trouble, be 
 brought into agreement with the Continental Regulations ; and, with this view, I have 
 carefully compared the rules laid down in the Convention with those given in the 
 ‘‘Tnstructions for the treatment of Continental Messages,” issued by the Department 
 when it first assumed the conduct of telegraphic business; and I now beg leave to 
 submit a statement of the differences which I have found to exist between them, and in 
 doing so I have included all the points referred to by Mr. Benton in his Paper of the 
 12th May last to Mr. Scudamore, and upon which I was directed to report. 
 
 A. “In the case of messages transmitted to France, the Channel Islands, Algeria, Belgium, Spain, 
 Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Tunisia, the Mediterranean Islands, the Roman States, Egypt, India, 
 China, or Australia, each of the words forming a compound word must be charged as a separate 
 word. For instance seventy-five must be charged as two words. In the case of messages transmitted 
 to any other country than those above named, compound words, if written together without any break 
 or interruption between them, must be charged for as one word only. Hor instance, the word 
 ‘underground’ if transmitted to any other country than those named above would be charged for as 
 one word. If however it were written thus ‘ under-ground’ it should be charged as two words.” 
 
 The Convention does not make any exception with regard to the countries named 
 above, on the contrary, proper words and names are charged for in all countries as they 
 are written by the sender ; and “ underground” written as one word would be accepted 
 as such, but if written as two, would be charged as two. 
 
 26192. C 
 
 Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4, par. 7. 
 
Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 Hi. 4, par. 8. 
 
 Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4, par. 9. 
 
 Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 Hi. 4, par. 10. 
 
 Vienna Con- 
 vention, Art. 
 36, par 5. 
 
 Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4, par. 14. 
 
 Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 Hi. 4, par. 15. 
 
 Vienna Con- 
 ventien Service 
 tegulations, 
 Part Spar, S: 
 
 Vest Offiee 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4. p. 16. 
 
 Convention, 
 Att. 37, p. 3. 
 
 Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4, par. 19. 
 
 18 
 
 B. “ When numbers or quantities are written in words in French or Italian, each separate word’ 
 used to express the number or quantity must be charged for. For instance, “quarante cing’ (45) in 
 French, or ‘ quattro cento’ (400) in Italian, must be charged for as two words. 
 
 ‘Whenever they are written m words in any other language than French or Italian, numbers and 
 quantities must be charged for, provided they be written together without break or interruption, as 
 single words of not more than seven syllables each; for instance ‘ seventyfive’ must be charged for as 
 one word, but ‘seventy-five’ with a hyphen between must be charged for as two,words. Thirteen- 
 thousandninehundred must be charged for as one word of seven syllables; but thirtythreethousandnine- 
 hundred must be regarded as one word of eight syllables and. therefore charged for as two words.” 
 
 The Convention does not make any distinction between French and Italian, or any 
 other language, and I am not aware of any reason why the distinction should be 
 maintained. 
 
 C. “In the case of messages sent to the Austro-Germanic Union, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Den- 
 mark, Turkey, and Greece the words twopence, threepence, &c. up to elevenpence must be charged 
 as one word. In the case of messages transmitted to all other countries they must be charged as 
 two words each.” 
 
 As the English language admits of each of these terms being written as one word, the 
 States referred to, and all others, will only count them as such. ‘This was a rule of the 
 late companies, which I have not the means of explaining, but it may perhaps now be 
 thought desirable to withdraw it. 
 
 D. “ In the case of messages transmitted to the Austro-Germanic Union, Russia, Norway, 
 Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, and Greece, such words as ‘ fob,’ which is made up of the initials of ‘ free 
 on board,’ and such words as ‘ cf,’ or ‘ cif, which is made up of the initials of ‘ cost freight insurance,’ 
 must, if the letters are written together without break or interruption, be charged as one word. In all 
 other cases they must be charged as three words.” 
 
 «* Numbers expressed in figures are counted at the rate of five figures to the word, plus one word 
 for any excess. The same rule applies in counting groups of letters which: have not a secret 
 signification.” 
 
 The terms in question may be transmitted to all other countries in addition to those 
 named in the Post Office Regulations, and will only be charged for as one word; it 
 would therefore appear desirable to amend the Regulations accordingly. 
 
 E. “ Where marks or signs which cannot be telegraphed are to be transmitted, they must be 
 charged for according to the number of words required to express their meaning. 
 
 Thus 5°), (five per cent.) must be charged for as three words, and £7 (seven pounds sterling) must 
 be charged for as three words.” 
 
 This Rule holds good, but the examples. given. are only charged as one word each, 
 as they happen to be exceptions, the sign °/, being charged for. as equal to three figures 
 and. the sign “‘ £” as equal to one figure. 
 
 F. “ Messages may be transmitted in cipher to the continent at double the ordinary charges either 
 by Government Departments or by private individuals, and the cipher may consist of figures or of 
 letters, but in the case of Private Messages must not be broken by the insertion of words. These 
 messages may consist of cipher wholly, or partly of cipher and partly of words, but when they consist 
 partly of words and partly of cipher, the part consisting of ciphers must be put in a parenthesis ether 
 at the beginning or at the end of the message.” 
 
 «* The body of the message may consist either wholly of cipher, or partly of cipher and partly of 
 ordinary language. In.the latter case the parts in cipher must be placed between two parentheses, 
 separating them from the rest of the message which precedes or follows.” 
 
 In this case the rule laid down by the Convention should perhaps. be followed. 
 
 G. “ When the figures or letters of which the cipher message~consists: are written in groups, as 
 12345, 7897, 4324, each group must be separated from the next by a comma or dash, which must be 
 charged for as if it were a figure.” 
 
 « The signs which separate the groups are counted unless the sender expressly requests that 
 they be not transmitted.” 
 
 The rule adopted by the Convention would appear. to. be more liberal than that laid. 
 down by the Post Office, 
 
 H. “ When prices in shillings and pence are transmitted, the stroke which divides the shillings- 
 from the pence must be charged asa figure. Thus 5/6 25/6 125/6. must be charged as one word,, 
 because the figures and strokes making up these prices do not in any case exceed 5 figures and strokes, . 
 or one word. When, however, prices are transmitted in shillings only, the stroke after the figure 
 denoting the number of shillings must be counted asa word. Thus 5/ 25/ 125/' must be charged 
 
 as two words each, one word being charged for the figure or group-of figures, and one word for the: 
 
 stroke denoting that the figures represent shillings.” 
 
 <= 
 
19 
 
 On the Continent the bar is considered to represent the word shillings, and so sepa- 
 rates the figures which are then charged singly, and it is perhaps a question whether 
 the English practice of charging ‘5s. 6d.” as one word should not be brought into 
 agreement with the Continental Regulation, and charged for according to the number of 
 words taken to express that sum, as it hardly appears fair to charge “5s.” as two words 
 and ‘* 5s. 6d.” as one only. 
 
 I. “ Messages containing market reports, quotations of rates of exchange, &c. for the Austro- 
 Germanic Union, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Turkey, and Greece, although they may consist 
 partly of figures and partly of words, are not to be regarded as cipher messages, and may be sent at 
 single rates ; but similar messages for all other places on the Continent must be so regarded, and a 
 double charge must be levied on them, unless the stock or commodity of which the price is given is 
 quoted together with the figures denoting that price.” 
 
 There exists no distinction with regard to the countries named, and messages to them, 
 as to other countries, may contain groups of letters commonly used in commercial 
 transactions, the sending station determining whether the groups are intended to represent 
 well-known terms relating to exchange and other commercial subjects. 
 
 The names of the countries quoted should, therefore, be expunged from the English 
 Regulations. 
 
 J. “ The sender of a message to the Continent can pay for the reply to that message. 
 
 “ He must determine the number of words of which the reply is to consist, and must insert after 
 the address of the receiver of the message the words ‘ reply of words paid.’ 
 
 “ If he does not mean the reply to consist of more than 20 words he need only insert ‘ reply paid.’ 
 
 “ Should the reply contain more than the number of words specified and paid for, the sender of the 
 reply will be expected to pay the excess of charge. 
 
 Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4, par. 22, 
 
 Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4, par. 23. 
 
 “ If, however, the reply does not contain the full number of words paid for, no return of money 
 
 can be made in this country, as it is not the practice of the Continental Telegraphic Administrations 
 to make any such return.” 
 
 “ Any sender can prepay the reply which he requests his correspondent to send. 
 
 “ The delivery station pays to the receiver the amount deposited .for the reply at the orivinal 
 sending station, either in money, telegraph stamps, or by a cheque on the office, leaving it to the 
 receiver to send his reply at any time, by any route, and to any address he chooses. 
 
 “ The reply is considered and treated as any other message. 
 
 “ If the original message cannot be delivered, or if the receiver formally refuses the amount depo- 
 sited for the reply, the delivery station informs the sender of it by a telegram which takes the place 
 of areply, This telegram indicates the cause of non-delivery, and gives, when requisite, the infor- 
 mation necessary to enable the sender to cause his message to follow. 
 
 “The amount deposited for the reply cannot exceed three times the cost of the original message.” 
 
 “When a prepaid reply is requested the sender must write, after the body of the message, the 
 words ‘reply paid ’.” 
 
 I would venture to recommend that the foreign practice with regard to giving the 
 addressee a stamped telegraph form should be adopted ; and also that the words “reply 
 
 paid” should be inserted at the end of the message instead of after the address of the 
 receiver. 
 
 KX. “ When the sender of a message to any country in Europe, except France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, 
 and the Channel Islands, is not quite certain of the exact place in which the receiver of the message will 
 be found, he may insert immediately after the address of the receiver the words, ‘a faire suivre,’ and 
 he may state the names of two or more places within the same country in which he thinks it possible 
 that the receiver of the message may be found. 
 
 “ In this case the sender will have to pay the charges up to the first station named by h*f, andif 
 the message has to be forwarded from that station to one or more of the other stations named by his, 
 the receiver will have to pay the other charges incurred.” 
 
 There is nothing to this effect in the Convention, and, as far as the countries named 
 are concerned, it is the practice daily to send messages to them in the manner indicated. 
 Ihave no doubt the late companies had good reasons for making the exceptions in 
 question, but I am not acquainted with them. 
 
 L. “In the case of inland messages, the sender can have his message repeated back again to 
 him by paying in addition half the charge for the original transmission; but in the case of messages 
 for the continent, the charge for repetition is the same as the charge for the original transmission. 
 Messages sent in eipher to the continent must invariably be repeated back at the cost of the 
 -sender.” : 
 
 “ The different stations through which it passes repeat it to each other, and the terminal station 
 informs the sender of the time at which it reached its destination.” 
 
 ‘The Post Office Regulations in this case are those of the Convention of Paris, but they 
 were altered at the second Conference to those given above, although it would seem that 
 
 \ 
 ConveXtion ‘ 
 Art, 24, 
 
 . 
 Art. 24. 
 Ser. Reg. 17. 
 
 Post Office — 
 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4, par. 2-4. 
 
 Post Offiee 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4, par. 4. 
 
 Vienna Con- 
 vention, Art.. 
 293 
 
 ~ tt 
 
4 
 
 ee 
 
 Post Office 
 Regulations, 
 H. 4, par. 13. 
 Convention, 
 Art. 36, .p. 6. 
 
 iffice 
 tions, 
 ar. 25. 
 
 Dost 
 
 Regul. 
 H 4, 
 
 ition, 
 Bp. 2. 
 
 ORve 
 A Tey 
 
 Post i fice 
 tions, 
 ff. 4)) ar. 30. 
 
 eniaa Con- | 
 
 vention, Art. 
 
 Best O fice 
 Regul, tions, 
 Hus, par. 28, 
 
 20 a ; 
 
 it must have been more satisfactory to the sender to have his message repeated back to 
 him, than only to receive an intimation of the time at which it was delivered. 
 
 M. « Where words are to be underlined two additional words must be charged for.” 
 
 “« Every separate character, whether letter or figure, is counted as a word. The same applies to an 
 underline.” 3 
 
 This certainly involves two distinct signals, one before the first word, and the second” 
 after the last word, to be underlined, and it would only seem fair that two words should 
 be charged for ; hut for the: purpose of making the English and Continental practice as, . 
 uniform as possible, it may perhaps be thought desirable to charge for one word only. 
 
 N. “*The extra charge for the delivery of more than one copy of a message to persons residing in 
 the same place is fivepence for each copy to be’so delivered. 
 «* When the same message is transmitted to more than one place or station, each copy must be 
 
 charged for as if it were an Y original message.” 
 ge The same message addressed to several persons in the same state is charged for asa single message 
 
 plus as many terminal rates as there are addresses, less one terminal rate.” 
 
 It would perhaps be better in this case to adopt the regulation of the Conyention, and 
 to add, as suggested by Mr. Benton in his Report of ‘the 12th May last, a column to 
 the Table of Foreign Rates for terminal charges, ae 
 
 O. “ Upon proof being giyen that; an ordinary message tendered for ib ER to the continent 
 has failed to reach its destination, the charge for the message will be refunded, Onder no other cir- 
 cumstance will the charge for an ordinary message be refunded. 
 
 «* Upon proper proof being given of erroror delay in the delivery of registered messages (that 4 Js, 
 messages the repetition of w hich has béen' aid ‘for,) the charges will be refund d, but the “applications 
 for repayment must be made within ‘three nionths, if the message was sent to any place in Karon ; 
 and within ten months if it was sent to any place beyond Europe.” 
 
 « Money will be returned for serious delay, mutilation, or non-deliver ys 
 
 T would submit that the words in italics should be omitted, as the rule is snot airtel 
 
 out, and that in their place a notice should be mserted tothe effect that every claim for 
 
 the reimbursement of money:paid for the transmission of a‘telegram which is stated to 
 
 have not reached its destination, should be supported by. a declaration from the terminal 
 telegraph office, or from the addressee, of its non-receipt. : 
 
 ~ 
 P. “« Avregisteredsmessage, thitds, a message for the repetition of which back to him the sender has 
 
 “paid, can be forwarded by. post from the terminal telegraphic station for an extra charge of 5d. when 
 
 it has to he sent to a place situated: in:the’state in’ w hich the terminal telegraph office is situated, for 
 
 an extra charge of 10d. when it has to. be-sent to some place in Europe which is not within the state 
 
 n whichethe fetminal telegraphic offi¢e is situated, audrfor an extra charge of a8. when it has to be 
 
 a to any place out of Europe,” 
 Registered messages are not now repeated back to the sender, ind I do not seé what 
 
 advantage the sender ofa message would derive by pre-paying so large a sum as 5d. for 
 
 the bransinission of a message from the terminal: telegraph office to a place in the same 
 
 state, the postal charges of that’s tate being as a‘rule less than 5d., and are generally 
 
 received from the addressee. . 
 
 number of féleeraph stations were not so numerous; it may therefore, perhaps, be 
 thought desirable to cancel this paragraph altogether, 
 
 MALCOLM. J. BROWN, 
 
 
 
 LONDON: 
 Printed Dy George E. Eyre and Witr1im Srorriswoonr, 
 Printers to the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty. 
 
 of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 
 [ . .—100.—8/70.] 
 
 
 
 rial SF, 
 
 
 
 ‘This Regulation was probably framed at a time when 
 rhe posta! charges in foreign. countries wére higher than they now are, and when the 
 
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