Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-07-26
THE NATIONAL TELEGRAPH.

The Missouri Democrat, in q recent
issue, says that tho action of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company gives
reason to hope that the experiment Of a
tslegraphic system controlled BY the
Government may soon be tried. The
way is thus open for the experiment
which Hon. B. Gratz Brown, while
Senator from Missouri, strongly advo-
Gated. He offered a bill making the
telegraph a branch of the postal depart
ment, but il never reached a vote.
The Demoera, goes OF to say that it
is not necessary, in order to test the
plan, that the Government should OBJ
tain control at once of all the lines in
the country, nor that it should have a
monopoly of any route. By purchasing
the lines of the Western Union, for eI-
ample, and operating them under Gov
eminent management for a time, the
question could soon be settled whether
the Government can give cheaper and
better ~tslegraphic communication than
is now afforded. If it can, all other
lines would soon be anxious to sell. If
it cannot, the experiment car DO drop
ped, and the limos purchased al be re-
sold to private persons.
The Democrat says that the great ad-
vantage to the public would be in the
cheapness Of ,elegraphic communica-
ton, and in the greater enterprise with
which lines would be extended 10 meet
public wants. "If the cost Of messages
were reduced to one ent a word, the
use of the telegraph would SO enor-
mously increase that the actual net re-
| ceipts would be even greater than they
are to-day. The telegraph would then
be used not only for nearly all business
correspondence, but for q thousand pur-
poses which are not imagined. But no
telegraph company, with a capital Of
many millions invested in business,
and with stockholders for dividends,
will make any such experiment until
forced to it, for a national reduction Of
rates would probably involve q tempo
rary decrease Of income, or oblige the
company almost Immediately to invest
new capital in putting up new wires.
Government, acting for the people,
could afford to put down prices at once,
and try the experiment, for if it sue
ceeds il would be an almost inestimable
benefit to the whole country. Think
how much more rapidly business would
be transacted, with how much saving
Of idle capital and wasted time, if in
stead Of letters taking a week to reach
New York and return, all business men
could use the telegraph and complete
their transactions in a few hours But
the change would be especially useful
in bringing the telegraph ~ithin reach o.
the great body Of the people, thus increas-
ing q thousand fold the intercourse be-
tween different parts of the country, and
welding US more closely into a compact,
homogeneous and united people. There
are a thousand consequences that would
follow the establishment of cheap tele-
graphic communication, each steps in
the development. and prosperity of the
country, and contributing to the happi-
ness of the people. Congress will do
we'll to give early consideration to the
subject. and to make the experiment as
soon as possible"
. If our Senators and Representative
would make an earnest, sincere effort
on this reform by Government, they
might secure popular accommodations
which would entitle them to gratitude
and respect for some valuable service.