COMMUNICATIONS: New Minimum

The ten-word telegram, on which U.S. minimum telegraph charges have been based for 100 years, this week fell a victim of inflation. Because of higher operating costs, Western Union set the minimum charge at 15 words, no matter how many fewer words are sent. An example of the difference: a minimum charge of $1.60 for a telegram from New York to San Francisco as against the old rate of $1.45. Expected result of the change: a yearly gain of $11 million (6.8%) in Western Union revenues.

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