The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1882.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6687, 22 September 1882, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1882.

Both in Great Britain and in her colonies a great deal of discussion is at present taking place on the.expediency of reducing the cost of telegraphic communication. And especially is attention directed towards cheapening the rates on inland telegrams. In England the desire for this is intensified by the anomalous circumstance that, through special arrangements with France and Belgium, messages can be sent to these countries more cheaply than from one place to another within the limits ot the United Kingdom. This strange discrepancy engenders discontent, and justly enough disposes people to look on the existing inland rates as exactions which sound statesmanship ought to lessen without delay. This ground of complaint does not, it is true, exist in this colony, nor, so far as we kno w,j in any of the Australasian group of colonies —the intercolonial rates in all these being higher than the inland ones—but here, as in the Mother Country, there prevails, nevertheless, the grievance that the shilling minimum rate practically places the telegraph as an ordinary means of communication beyond the reach of the|majority of the working classes, and a large number of even the middle classes; while, at the same time, it prevents people who are well to do from using it as frequently as they otherwise would. This is admitted by the postal authorities generally; it is freely conceded by Mr Fawcett, Post-master-General of England, and these only consideration which keeps the authorities either here or in Britain from initiating the necessary reform is the apprehension that such a course would seriously interfere with the revenue. Now, there can be no doubt that this result would happen upon the introduction of reduced rates, but there can be as little doubt that it would only be a temporary one. Here, as in other directions, that which is lost would be regained, and not only so, but regained with interest, and would, after a brief period, increase the Treasury instead of diminishing it. On the principle of the calculation of probabilities, the matter is of easy solution ; for it may with safety be reckoned that, with a minimum rate of sixpence instead of a shilling for ten words, there would, in the space of three years at most,'be two messages sent along the wires for every one transmitted now. The whole question is, therefore, reduced to this, whether we can afford to put up with a present temporary abridgement of revenue with a view to a proximate enlargement ? And, when thus viewed, the difficulty of initiating the reform wished for comparatively vanishes ; as the finances of a country, if at all in a generally healthy condition, can easily, by accommodation, be subjected to a partial strain in the prospect of an indisputable increment. But the truth is that the real obstacle to the cheapening of telegraph rates lies not so much in an anticipated loss of revenue as in the conservative feeling which disposes public men to continue working along the lines which custom has recognised. A natural vis inertias disinclines them to forsake long established grooves of thought. They are averse to changes which do not have a political value, arid which pertain only to the department of administration. And yet most people will fail to see why this question of cheap telegraph communication should not become an important feature in an effective policy. One thing is certain, that it would be very popular. It would, moreover, be quite in harmony with the spirit of the times. What people want now-a-days is rapidity of transmission in the matters of correspondence, business advices, and even money remittances. In the majority of instances they would a thousand times over rather adopt this brief method of transaction than resort to the more irksome, and withal circuitous process of formal communication by letter. But to give scope for this spirit of thrift in time and execution the charges must be small,; and small charges, by insensibly committing the people to a larger aggregate outlay, would necessarily lead to a very marked augmentation of the national treasury. This consideration, even if there were no other, ought to induce the Government both in Britainand in theeolonies to change their attitude towards this question,anditwould certaiulybeto the credit of the New Zealand Government if it were to set the example. There is no colony in which the opportunity of taking the lead ‘ is so tempting, simply because there is none in which the necessity for the change is so great. Owing to our extensive seaboard, the transmission of letters between the chief centres of business is necessarily slow, and must continue to be so, even if, by the completion of our railway system, it could be effected by train instead of by steamer. It is quite certain that, owing to this cause alone, the correspondence by telegram would soon be double to what it now is, and would ever be increasing, if the present cost thereof were diminished by half. And what is thus predicable of

our inland correspondence may pari passu be affirmed of our intercolonial also. Witt regard to this latter, however, concurrent action would require to be taken by other Governments, which might give rise to some peculiar difficulties, and would certainly be attended with dalay. But within the limits of New Zealand there is no insuperable reason why the reduction might not be resolved on at once, jf the Hon. the Postmaster-Genera), in concert with his Ministerial colleagues, were, on careful consideration, assured of its soundness and public advantage. A halfpenny a word rate, with a sixpenny minimum, has been suggested as a basis of operation in the United Kingdom, and ic has been calculated that this scale of charges would leave a profit of twenty-five per cent. The same scale adopted here would give a much larger profit, inasmuch as proportionately the number of messages in this colony is much greater than in Britain. At all events, there is reason to conclude that here, as there, the result of the change would soon be that the revenue would experience a gradual increase, while an unspeakable boon would immediately be conferred on the public.