R/O if can remember.

[j.sabourn]

During earlier times when the only means of communication with the outside world was by radio transmissions in the Morse code , crew members on special occasions used to send the likes of SLTs to family and friends if they could afford it.
The payment for this service was calculated by the ships R/O which was always in Swiss Francs . What did or how did he convert this to the currency of the flag of the ship. It suddenly struck me that I and probably many others don’t know, the price of the telegram was of course by the number of words used , but how was the conversion attained ? At the moment the only conversion rates I can remember were placed in the back of the Articles when returned to the vessel from a British consulate, and this referred only to that country. Whilst on the subject did the R/0 get a personal discount for any personal messages of his own ? JWS.

[Denis O'Shea]

John, the RO had a conversion list provided by the operating company on UK ships, the charges were ship tax coast station tax and landline charges the RO did not pay the ship tax nor was this tax charged on ships business messages sent by the Capt.