No. 270.
Mr. Atkinson to Mr. Evarts.
St. Petersburg, May 25, 1877. (Received June 11.)
Sir: The report of the Russian telegraph department for the year 1875 has been published, and presents the following points of interest:
The extent of lines January 1, 1875, was 57,718¾ versts (38,480 miles), with 111,813¼ versts (74,542 miles) of wire. Of telegraph stations there were 701. During 1875 the lines were increased by 3,568¼ versts (2,379 miles), and the wires by 6,486¼ versts (4,324 miles), while new stations to the number of 66 were opened. The telegraphs worked by the railway companies had at the beginning of 1875 an extent of 14,982 versts (9,988 miles), with 33,064¾ versts (22,043 miles) of wire, and 901 stations. These figures were increased during 1875 by 1,215¾ versts (810 miles) of line, 2,431½ versts (1,621 miles) of wire, and 95 new stations. The Anglo Indian line was very slightly increased in wire, the line remaining unaltered at 3,407 versts (2,271 miles), with 53 stations. Lines worked by private means were insignificant, amounting in all at the end of the year to 360J versts (240 miles).
The entire service, embracing the governmental, the railway, the Anglo-Indian, and the private lines shows January 1, 1876, a total of 81,252 versts (54,168 miles) of line, 161,446 versts (107,631 miles) of wire, and 1,859 stations. The messages transmitted within the empire amounted in 1875 to 3,478,135, or an increase of 10 per cent. International messages amounted to 4,179,316, or an increase of 9 per cent. Telegrams exchanged with France increased to the extent of 13,431 messages, but with Germany the number decreased by 3,402, and with Great Britain by 4,107. Messages exchanged with America amounted to 1,016, against 819 for the preceding year. The gross receipts of the department of telegraphs were 4,927,140 roubles, an increase of 2.20 per [Page 472] cent. over those of 1874. Expenses amounted to 4,094,670 roubles’ against 3,791,960 in 1874, the net receipts being in 1875, 832,470 roubles and in 1874, 1,030,701 roubles. The average cost of. messages was 1.15 roubles, creating an average profit to the government of 22/100 roubles. In 1875, 503,997 roubles were expended upon new lines, against 386,816 roubles in 1874. At the close of 1875, 6,791 persons were employed in the telegraph administration, a gain of 398 during the year. Of female employés there were 566. The service is under good discipline, and operators are so educated that at the principal stations messages are received and sent in Russian, German, French, or English.
I have, &c.,