Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/208

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THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — UNITED KINGDOM

The telegraphs were Iransferrod to the Stale on Feltrnary 5, 1870 ; of March 31, 1912, the British Post Office had to deal with 313,805 miles of public telegraph wire, 2,234,215 miles of telephone wire, and 62,630 miles of leased and other wire maintained by the Post Office; total, 2,610,650 miles of wire. Of this total, 870,973 miles were aerial, 1,729,131 underground, and 10,546 submarine.

Number of telegraphic messages forwarded from offices in the United Kinsfdom : —

Year ended March 31

Encrland and Wales

Scotland

Ireland

United Kingdom

9,071,000

8,690,000 8,747,00(1 8,734,000 8,964,000

5,107,000 5,340,000 5,455,000 5,512,000 5,893,000

88,969,000 84,825,000 86,884,000 86,707,000 89,200,000

1905 1909 1910 1911 1912

74,791,000 70,795,000 72,682,000 72,461,000 74,343,000

The total number of telegraph offices at post offices was^March 31, 1912) 11,661; at railway stations, 2,425 ; total, 13,986. In 1909-10 the Post Office acquired from the Marconi Company and Lloyd's their wii-eless telegrai)hy stations on tiie coast of the United Kingdom. The Marconi Company, however, retains its licence for its long- distance stations atPoIdhu and Clifden. The licences existing on March 31, 1912, granted under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts, numbered S for private business (excluding lightships), and 258 experimental. The Post Office collects and delivers telegrams to and irom ships at sea. and in 1911-12 so dealt with 6,680 outward and 37,827 inward telegrams.

It is intended to erect a chain of wireless telegraph stations to connect distant parts of the Empire with the United Kingdom. Tlie stations at present suggested will be in England, Egypt, Briti.sh East Africa, South Afri-a, India, and the Malay Peninsula. It is hoped that Australia and New Zealand will also erect stations to form part of the chain.

On March 31, 1912, there were 714 trunk wire centres open for telephone business; there were 2,993 trunk circuits containing 227,730 miles of wire ; the number of convor.sations during the year was 33,499,405. The London exchange system had 547,036 miles of working wire, and 232,009 telephones. The provincial telejdione service had 843,559 miles of working wire, and 471,972 telephones. These figures include the systenj of the National Telephone Company which was taken over by the Post Office at midnight on December 31, 1911. For private wires the rentals amounted to 231,423J.

The revenue and expenditure

of the Post Office :—

1908-9

1900-10 1910-11

1911-12 Estimated

Total postal receipts

Expeudiluro

18,125,574 13,387,196

£ 18,710,027 13,709,233

£ 19,743 027 14,269,496

£ 20,060,729 14,522,132

Net postal revenue .... Total telegraph receii>ts

Expenditure

4,738,378

3,009,727 4,191,511

4,910,794

3,166,875 4,257,264

5,473,531

3,168,804 4,353,090

5,538,507

3,147,705 4,382,533

Net telegraph deficit

Total telephone receipts Total telephone expenditure.

-1,091,784

1,522,442 1,576,193

-1,090,389

1,750,. 308 1,789,925

-1,184,286

1,952,537 1,999,191

-1,234,828

2,962,736 2,701,515

Net telephone deficit or revenue. Net post and telegraph revenue

-53,751 3,.592,843

-39,617 3,780,788

- 46,654 4,242,591

201 221 4,504,990

Money and Credit.

Value of money issued from the Royal Mint and of imports and exports of British gold and silver coin : —