The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-12-06
For the Union.
The Telegraph md the Press.

There is great difficulty in devsing any system of
and at the time bring the of the telegraph with
IN the reach OF the press on moderate and equal terms
Ii there be Interchangeable tariff of charges, the
the price very low to them severay, by dividing the
cost; while the tariff is so high to the few or sin
gle presses in smaller cities and towns, to exclude
them from the of the telegraph render it exceed
ingy burdensome. Again the practical effect of the
system OF charges heretofore used has been to conne the
of the telegraph in the large cities to the stronger
presses. while the weaker have been entirely cut off,
The following regulations recently prescribed for the
government of the southern line, the result OF some
experience and much reflection, viz:
REGULATIONS,
81 Messages for the public press will be the
entire line to any Intermediate point upon IT, and copies
furnished stations short Of their ultimate destination, at
e %ods q e Vr cow o the
that such messages shall be in words and sentences intel
s.2 Whenever words of more than letters used
with meanings different from their ordinary Specification
second five will be taken as word in ascertanng the
amount to be charged"
Suppose the line of telegraph in operation from Wash
ING ton to New Orleans, the first regulation would put in
the power Of the press to combine together all along the
line and, by dividing the cost, get the very
low rate Or able and enterprsing reporter might
ganze system for the collection and transmission of
news making his bargains with the presses on the one
hand, and the telegraph company on the other This
would doubtless be the better system for the press gener
ally well the telegraph The press in the smaller
Cities and the weaker presses in the larger cities, would
be able pay the reporter for copies thus reduced
price, and rake of the general benefits and the ele
graph would be called on to transmit columns in
stead of paragraphs, at present.
1t will be remarked that the five cents for copies
proposed to be uniform throughout the achote ine-he
same at Alexandria, Richmond, Charleston Savannah,
Mobile, &c., &c. Its present effect is to enable the Vir
GINA press, by uniting with the presses beyond, to get
the northern news, proceedings OF Congress- &C., by
paying to the telegraph company only five cents for ten
words, and still less where two more presses in the
same place unite and divide the expense.
The second regulation, and the proviso to the first are
based upon the fact that the operators can transmit
Ineligible words and sentences much faster and
more accurately than isolated words which have no
natural or apparent connexon with each other espe
cialy where such words OF coinage not found
in any dictionary ancient modern II is enough that
the telegraph loses half its fee by conventional meanings
put upon syabes letters, without giving double time
and labor TO their transmission If brought within the
compass of five letters however OF some English word,
these unknown messages to be sent as heretofore.
These regulations published for the consideration Of
the press IT, by the convention of editors proposed in
this city, by any portion OF the press, more eligible
plan can be suggested, will doubtless be adopted 1t is
the interest is the pleasure of the several
telegraph companies, afford the press all just and liberal
facilities.
May not hope that the press will give general circula
ton TO these few remarks upon most important subject
AMOS KENDALL,
Agent of the southern line.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4th 1s47