The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-12
The Telegraph and she Governmen.


One of our morning contemporaries published
yesterday . muddled article foreshadowing "a
new telegraph question" which is to come be-
fore Congress this winter in the shape of
proposition to incorporate ''a so-called govern
ment telegraph company, having power to
construct and operate lines on all the post
roads and routes Of the country, assisted by a
contract with the government for transmitting
messages" From the tone of the article in
question we are inclined to regard this as a
new movement Of the present Objectionable
telegraph monopoly to shut of by legislation
the opposition lines now in process of con-
struction all over the country, and certain, be-
fore long, to work much needed and desira-
bic reform in the business Of telegraphing in
the United States. 1t evidently aims at enabling
the Western Union Company, by making
contract with the government for trans
hitting messages to obtain exclusive privileges
on ''all the post roads and routes OF the
country" and is intended to counterfeit the
anticipated policy of uniting the telegraph
and postal systems in this country as they are
already united in Europe.
The telegraph has become a necessity in gov
ornamental affairs, to the press, in commerce
and in social life. Neither the government,
the newspapers nor individuals can now do
without it. There is a demand everywhere
for increased facilities and lower prices, and
no franchises within the gift of people should
be so carefully guarded as those which relate
to this great element of progress and devel-
opment. Monopoly, with its Accomplishments
OF limited facilities and high rates, is q greater
evil to the country in this business than in
any other. Such proposition as that
now put forward in the interest Of
the Western Union Company would intensity
instead of remove the present evils. We
need one of two things-either thorough,
wholesome competition or the control and
operation Of the telegraph lines by the govern
ment as part and parcel Of the postal system.
The latter proposition is already finding favor
here, as in Europe, and has many features to
recommend it. In the hands of greedy specu-
lators and rings private companies are run for
the advantage Of individuals, and not for the
benefit Of the public The construction of the
lines is made to cost four and five times the
| percentage above. their legitm ate price, and
the operating expenses are run up TO one hun
dred and fifty per cent more than they ought
to be under liberal management. The con-
sequence is that the people who use the lines
are imposed upon by exorbitant rates and
the stockholders receive but meagre divi-
dends, if any, upon their investments. The
Western Union Company has nominal capt.
tai of forty-one million dollars. The govern
ment could to-day build as many lines as the
Western Union owns and leases to every point
touched by that company for twelve million
dollars. The new lines would be Of better
material and greater conductivity than any
used by the Western Union, and the insulation
and equipments would be all very superior to
the old, used up stock of that company. The
comparatively low cost and the economy with
which they might be operated would enable
the government to do the whole business Of
the country at one-fourth of the rates now ex-
torted from the people by the Western Union
monopoly wherever it has no competing lines
to contend with.
Decreased prices and increased facilities
would not be the only benefits derived by the
public from government telegraph system
Secrecy and impartiality, which are now
wanting, would be secured. In the
hands Of sworn government agents
telegraph message would be as sacred as
letter, and there would be no holding back
dispatches to favor spectators. The opera
tors would be subject to the same laws which
are in force in the Post Office Department, and
any dishonest use of information derived from
messages would be made a State prison
offence. Every city would contain a network
of telegraph lines, and communication from
end to end Of city's limits would be almost
instantaneous. There Is no doubt that the
telegraph, which is yet in its infancy, is des-
tined to work wonderful revolution in polti-
cal, commercial and social life, and its very
magnitude demands that 1t shall be taken out
of the hands Of spectators and individual mo-
nopolists and held in the strong grasp Of the
government.
Progress Of the Cuban Revolution.
This morning we give details of the revolu-
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