CO129-431 - Governor Sir May - 1916 [1-2] — Page 456

40

No reply was received, though it was known that a sympathetic view of the case was taken at the Foreign Office.

At a meeting held on the 29th September the Committee considered the question fully. The following day the Chairman had an interview with the Traffic Accountant of the Cable Companies, and later at the Foreign Office. Appended is a Memorandum, written by him, of what transpired at the interviews.

MEMORANDUM

TELEGRAPH RATES.

Yesterday afternoon 1 bad an interview with Mr. Hibberdine, the Traffic Accountant of the Telegraph Companies, and brought before him several complaints referred to at our Committee meeting on Tuesday.

First, in regard to modified charge for telegrams in plain language, he said that new arrangements had been made by which 10 letters of plain language telegram would count This as one word, and one figure count as 2 letters, address and signature inclusive. would materially reduce the cost of messages in plain language, and public intimation of As regards China, the change has already been made to come into force from to-day. however, there had been some delay in getting replies from the Chinese Government, who had been asked to agree to this modified rate, but had sent no reply, although they had had the proposal in their hands for three days; he did not anticipate, however, that China would refuse to fall in with other countries, and he hoped to receive the acquiescence of that The difficulty in connection with this matter lay entirely at Government in a day or two. Peking,

He also said that the Telegraph Companies would accept telegrams at a deferred rate, I pointed out to him that the China the rate being one-half of the ordinary tariff. Association Committee were of opinion that this was excessive, and that a fair rate should He said that there would be almost not exceed one-third of the ordinary tariff. insuperable difficulties in getting any further reduction; that they had to consult many different Governments regarding any changes in rates, and if application were made it would probably take several months before replies were received from all those whom it would be necessary to consult, and he could hold out no hope that the reduction suggested would be agreed tu. He would point out, however, that the deferred rate of half the usual rate was a material concession, because practically all business telegrams sent in before three o'clock would be forwarded without any delay at all. Their system was not to keep back telegrams at deferred rate provided that they had not traffic which was entitled to For example he said that Government messages took precedence in their office. precedence of everything, but they very rarely received Government messages late in the afternoon. In the earlier part of the day, up to three o'clock, it was very exceptional for them to have any pressure of work, and if telegrams at deferred rates reached them before that time, they went forward in the ordinary way and would not be subject to any delay at all. He said that in the great majority of cases telegrams at deferred rates, if sent jo before three o'clock, would be delivered in China about ten o'clock the next day.

until

41

With regard to the complaint that very full addresses had been insisted upon by the Telegraph Companies, such as "Dodwell and Company, Limited, 24, St. Mary Axe, "London," and " Butterfield and Swire, Shanghai," Mr. Hibberdine said it was quite against their general instructions that such unnecessarily long addresses should be insisted upon. He said that if they had received a telegram addressed Dodwell, London," from Shanghai, they would have delivered it without question, and if firms who had experience of this kind would write in complaining to the Company he would see that their complaints had

immediate attention.

Regarding cypher addresses, he said that the Companies were quite willing to revert to cypher addresses without delay, but they were entirely in the bands of the Chief Censor, who had so far refused to allow them to accept addresses in this form. were entirely helpless in the matter, and be thought that perhaps if we laid our complaint As a company they before the Secretary of the Post Office we might do some good towards getting the restriction cancelled. He concluded by saying that the Companies were desirous of removing all the difficulties in connection with the operation of code messages at the earliest possible moment, and he agreed that the time had come for reverting to cypher addresses, so that there would be no opposition raised to that concession on the part of the Companies.

I then called on Mr. Murray, the Secretary of the Post Office, and saw his private secretary on the subject of cypher addresses. He informed me that they were now in communication with the Chief Censor, who hitherto had been opposed to allowing addresses to be telegraphed in cypher, and all he could say was that the Post Office had made proposals to the Chief Censor dealing with this matter, and he hoped that they would be able to come to an arrangement which would be satisfactory to everyone, in the course of a few days; that, as far as the Post Office was concerned there would be no objection to a resumption of cypher addresses. He was unable to give me details of the proposals they had made to the Chief Censor, but he hoped that at no distant date this question would be dealt with in a satisfactory manner.

1st October, 1914-

China Association,

SIK,

99, Cannon Street, E.C.

F. ANDERSON,

Chairman.

3rd October, 1914.

China Association, Shanghai, to Sir E. D. H. Fraser.

China Association,

Shanghai, September 21st. 1914.

I have the honour to request that the attention of His Majesty's Minister be drawn

to the question of telegraphy. At the moment all firms have not only to telegraph in plain English, but in addition have to telegraph their names in fall,

46

453