Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-06-21
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS RISaIs : !:
RICHMOND WIG.
TUESDAY MORNING. JUNE n, lsS4'
IN, Telegraph Company.

q
Oompany. Il Is alleged that the Company has advanced
m rates 200 per cent within the last six mouths without
us iscaton and at the very time when gold was falling
Il Is also charged tha. there has been corresponding
Increase IN the prices paid to employees These alega
tiOns would rot have been made If the public had been
Anprizsd Of the actual condition Of the Company.
very simple statement of facts is all that Is ssary
TO place the matter in It's proper light and to eHOnerae
the Company from blanc in the premises.
The balance sheet Of the Treasurer 81 ~ th't TIE
expenses Of the Company for the yea Dg, ApTi l,
1854, exceeded the receipts by more hs $4s 600
The cause is obvious. The general r. - Osen 10
creased 500 per cent spOn peace prices I'D he rss
the press (which were not raised Al ali until month
ago. have been raised only loo per cent. Msantms
tae expenses have inc eased from 400 and 500 per cel
Gin the case Of the salaries Of employees,) TO 1000,
5000 10000 and even IS 900 per cent. in the Of
certain articles used by the Company. This We viii
proceed 20 show.
In peace tines the salary Of Superintendent Was
SI25 month; it is now ss35 a month-An Increase Of
400 per cent The salary Of Chief Operator In peace
times vas $50 month; nov il is SS75-sn increase OF
400 per cent The pay Of an Assistant Operator ussd
% DO $50 a month; 1t is now $S0O-Sn increase Of 800
Der cent The salary of the President aud also thai Of
tie Treasurer are precisely what they at the be-
ginning o. the war; there has been increase.
Let us look now as the prices which the company has
TO pay for articles Indispensable their business. En-
vsopes in psaca times cost 50 cents thousand; now
they COS. S2S-a0 advance o; 900 per cent. Fools
cap paper could be bought before she for W cents
rsAn; Il now costs SsO-Au Increase Of $500 per
0saL Iasulalors used to cost cents each; they are
nov 70 b. had at Is 50 EACH or $500 par cent higher
than formerly. The price Of wire vas In peAcs times
q esa.s pound; the present price is a pound, or
4 500 Dor cent. advance Nitric Aeid, which cost in
good tines cents pound, can DO purchased now for
not less than $40 pOund-a rise Of Is OOe per cent
But this not the worst The price to-day Of suPhurO
acid pee posndSs compared with is' former price III
osas per pound shows increase Of 80 900 per
and the price Of blue stone il higher still In days Of
psaoe blas stone cost cents pound A1d it cOs,s
sSO-or IS 900 per cent more than formerly.
Il viii be seen that the articles which are Eost
largely consumed BY the company PRECISELY thOse
which have advanced the most. To the objection which
will be raised thai at this rate the company ought TO
be hopelsssy in dsbs there ia ready reply The CON-
pany in the beginning Of the var accumulated large
stock OF m3Esra and so oug as these lasted or seem
% likely to LAST there no advance in prices. But
the protsacdOn Of the Consumed the Accumulated
stock aud forced the company into the market a. pur
chaser Is war prices. Bat many things could not DO
bought at any prioa. Wire had to bs Manufactured;
insulAtors also and Altsry b!us stone These things
could be run through the boCkAiS but to Do Of u5e -
the company the supply had TO be constant, uniform
and abundant.
But these are not all the troubles unds, which the
IL,
fearful rate, the extent Of their lines was diminishing
almost daily. As the enemy pressed the Confederate
armies back mile after mile of the telegraph line had TO
be abandoned aud dollar after dollar of the annual
revenue was cut shory Il IL estimated that the Com
pAuy havs, from 6rs last, lost 900 miles of wire
once worked BY Them toe dimlnudOn o. receipts COS
responded With this loss. Time and again military
Chiefs seiSsd long lines Of wire for their own use and
thus the revenues Of the Company we're still further
diminished
To all this mua. be addsd the heavy expense attend.
Lag the rebuilding Of lines destroyed by the raids of
she enemy in the various States Of the South Wire,
polss, and insuAters have 70 be continually supplied
Very recently for example, forty miles Of wire, with
poles etc. had be furnished for the three lines be-
tween this city and Petersburg; and at this moment tie
whole work Il being done over again. Nor mus: he
81 snss entailSd upon the Company of keeping their
Offices open all day aud night, with the additional ops
rAOrs for night work. be forgotten. But We forbear to
snumsrA.e the full list Of extraordinary charges to
which the Company ia subjected during war times
Any impartial man Who will take the trouble to lyos
into the Affairs OF the company will be convinced that
thsy have been managed with energy and With proper
regard for the interests of the public Toe charge Of
s1sOron with bad grace from the Press, witch
has been treated with consideration and oer4Hty-
The company made a mistake in suppOs-g u. she
public would take for granted that tAs a.s rise i
rates was compulsory But the public could not una T.
sand sudden increase Of 100 per cent, followed oy
= similar increase within few months. Hal the rates
been advanced gradually the public would not have
complained Il not to be supposed, however, that
they we're familiar with the affairs OF the company and
q less that they we're acquainted with the fact that
she old stock Of supplies had suddenly given out We
have taken some pains to get At the facts given, and
can assure our readers that they authentic and
be relied on fully. With all respect for the officers Of
tae company, We tell them frankly that the public il
rather disposed to look upon the company mOaOpO-
~, aud while the immediate aequAiutAness of these
officers could never suspect them OF Intention to
tort the public at large not 90 charitable. Hereafter
whsn any increase Of rates other important change
IN the Affairs Of the company, Is deemed necessary,
lev uords Of explanation 70 the public viii not 10
a. all amis, but, the contrary, serve to do away
with much reprOaOh and hard feeling. We do not
bAms the company tor advancing is rates but at the
SINE time We do not blame toe public for not being
aole to comprehend Why thus increase should be re-
D,sssd after 50 short an interval The present. article
W trust win serve as an explanation and restore the
good understanding and Kind feeling which formerly
sEisted.
PEGRANS BATTALION.
TuRKEY HILL July IL, 1888.