A transcriber’s note follows the text.
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THE BRITISH STATE TELEGRAPHS
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THE BRITISH STATE TELEGRAPHS
A STUDY OF THE PROBLEM OF A LARGE BODY OF CIVIL      SERVANTS IN A DEMOCRACY 
BY
HUGO RICHARD MEYER
SOMETIME ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL      ECONOMY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, AUTHOR OF “GOVERNMENT      REGULATION OF RAILWAY RATES;” “MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP IN GREAT      BRITAIN”
New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd.
1907
All right reserved
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Copyright, 1907
By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
Set up and electrotyped. Published October 1907
THE MASON-HENRY PRESS 
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK
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TO MY BROTHER
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PREFACE
In order to keep within reasonable limits the size of this volume,the author has been obliged to reserve for a separate volume thestory of the Telephone in Great Britain. The series of books promisedin the Preface to the author’s Municipal Ownership in GreatBritain will, therefore, number not four, but five.
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CONTENTS
  • CHAPTER I
    Introduction 3
    Scope of the inquiry.
  • CHAPTER II
    The Argument for the Nationalization of      the Telegraphs13
    The indictment of the telegraph companies. The argument      from foreign experience. The promise of reduced tariffs      and increased facilities. The alleged financial success of      foreign State telegraphs: Belgium, Switzerland and France. The      argument from English company experience.
  • CHAPTER III
    The alleged Break-down of Laissez-faire36
    Early history of telegraphy in Great Britain. The      adequacy of private enterprise. Mr. Scudamore’s loose use of      statistics. Mr. Scudamore’s test of adequacy of facilities.      Telegraphic charges and growth of traffic in Great Britain.      The alleged wastefulness of competition. The telegraph      companies’ proposal.
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