No. 310.
Mr. Bingham to Mr. Evarts.
Tokei, Japan, September 15, 1879. (Received October 16.)
Sir: Herewith I have the honor to transmit for your information the “Fourth report of the director general of the Imperial Government telegraphs of Japan” for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1878.
The report shows that from the earliest date (1873) to the 30th of June, 1878, the aggregate receipts were yen 990,343.50, and that the total number of messages transmitted was 3,187,727, and that the total expenditure to that date was yen 3,551,200, and that during the year ended June 30, 1878, the receipts amounted to yen 344,017.44, and that the expenditure for the same year was yen 645,553.94.
The report also shows that in January, 1878, a “telegraph engineering school” was established (p. 24), in which natives are thoroughly instructed for the service, and that in this school during the year much material and some apparatus were manufactured, among which instruments were magnets, telephones, &c.
The several appendixes set out the tariff for European and Japanese messages.
It appears that during the year 1877 miles of line were constructed or rebuilt.
The whole number of persons employed in the service, 1,410.
I have, &c.