THE TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13742, 25 May 1910, Page 7

THE TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

'j'lie Prime Minister stated that the Tolegraph Department had dono splendid work in coiinection with the sending out <>l messages concerning the doath of thfc iato King. . Hβ had had to send out hundreds of communications daily, and this whole of. tho arthroughout • the. country had to be carried out by telegraph. Sir Joseph gave some informing as to the work done by the Department during the days the Empire was m mourning. He said:—r"Thc number of telegrams sent by me' on the 7th and Bth of May, in connection with -the death of the King, was 2730, and from the 9th to the 20th, tho number sent ouS was 25,731, aggregating altogether 2,367,120 words. Apart from this the number of telegrams from the public despatched by tho Telegraph offices throughout the Dominion between tne time of the announcement of the King's death and the funeral was 296,000, and tho number received for tho same period was 2f)7,000. I am unable to give the number of words connected with either of these records. I should like to add that tho work was carried out by the Tokgrdph offices throughout the Dominion in a highly satisfactory manner,, reflecting £Tie greatest credit upOii tho staff." THE iJREIi LAW. A new Libel Bill is in course of preparation. Sir Jose oh said tha*/ he could not make any pronouncement as to its provisions, teyond that the Bill Would to a large extent ba an adaptation of the English law. next .Session*. The ttoxt cession. Sir $,nid, would open in the last week in June, ti.t the actual day had not been definikl\ ns-id. H« added, with'a smile, that he thought the session would be a useful one. and that it would certainly b« a working one.