The New York herald., 1869-01-22
THE TELEGRAPH.
Plea of the Western Union Company Against
The Proposed Postal Telegraph.

Plea Of the Western Union Company Against
the Proposed Postal Telegraph.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2l, 1889.
Mr.. Crton. president OF tho Western Union Iele-
graph Company, laid before the House Committee
on pos oiices to-day paper on the proposed union
OF the telegram and postal system. The statistics
show tnat there is larger number Of telegraph
offices, IN proportion to the population, in this coun
try than in any otner in the world. While in Europe
there is but one telegraph office for every 1861 of
its nhabrants, IN the United States there Is for
every 7,54s. The total number or tele-
grams transmitted IN Europe per annum,
according TO the official reports, is Is, ,6S3. OOO
at expense or SIS, 5,2S6 500. The average was
81 sc cents per message. The Western Union Tele-
graph Company transmits 10,067,00 kilograms per
annum, al cost OF So, 000 being an average OF
ciude Ireland in INTERNATIONAL and transit messages
and thus present a larger number OF kilograms than
are actually transmitted, as the same message is
sometimes counted IN several countries while those
OF the Western Union Telegraph Company
counted but once, although they may transverse
Making proper allowance for duplication In count
ing IN Europe, the actual number OF dispatches
sent was i4'oiZooo, az an average cost OF 81 o9
each. In no country in Europe Is the teegraphic
administration connected with the Post ONCE. In
France and Spain the telegraphs are under the con-
Prussia and Italy they belong the Ministry OF Pub
lie Works. In Belgium the telegraph railways and
post offices form general division under the Minis
ter OF Pubic Works, but are kept distinct In Aus
tria the administration Of the teegraphs and the
post oce were at one time united but it was found
expedient to separate them. In Switzerland the
telegraphic organization Is nearly the same as
IN Prussia. The post office, customs and private
establishments supply the elements OF an auxiliary
stan, but all the persons employed In the trans
mission ofteeprams depend on the administration OF
telegraphs for their compensation and in the annual
budget an appropriation Is made for that service
Distinct from the post. An effort was made In
France In 1864 to consolidate the post and telegraph
service but owing 10 the strong opposition evlnced
the part OF the chief functionary OF both services
to such amalgamation 1t was rellnGushed. II was
not unI several years after the Introduction OF the
electric telegraph in America that 1t was opened TO
the people oy any European government. Even In
France The electric telegraph established late
as 1851, and iis spread throughout the empire was
exceedingly slow. The seInaphore, defective and
Insufficient system Of conveying intelligence by
the exhibition OF signals, was still in use,
and notwithstanding the manifest advantages
Of the electric telegraph the government
wires belonging to the Western Union Telegraph
Company Is more than twice that OF France, three
times greater than tn taan Of Prussia and equals the
German States Italy, Spain. Belgium and Switzer-
land and 1t Il Increasing in larger ratio than any
Company has added to Its lines during the year
1858 more than 5000 miles OF wire, or as much as
the entire system OF Belgium. In no country In the
control as in this; In no country Is the business done
50 Wen or SO cheaply, and nowhere else
deavor made TO serve the people faithfully
and satisfactorily The cost OF construction OF the
slo2s II per mile. On this basis the value OF the
lines belonging to the Western Union Telegraph
Company i5 $52, lG6,079 CO. The western Union
Telegraph Company has s331 telegraph offces So 100
miles OF line, 97,4l8 miles Of wire, 265 submarine
cables and $3.50 skilled persons In its employ. The
those countries where it Is under governmental con-
troll than IN those where II Ia left to private enter
prise is shown by Official statistics 10 be entirely
erroneous In continental Europe where the
,elesraphs are under government control there are
but but 400 sa5 49, oaices % & lor population q over
Canada and the United States, where the telegraph
has hitherto been left to the control OF the people,
furnish 6,659 telegraph Offices for q population OF
"a. 100000. The number of kilograms transmitted
per annum In continental Europe is only Il, ,4S0 900;
we anere & we're sent @ D. the people sr OF ne three
ernment monopoly 1s,671,0o0. The tariff OF charges
averages one dollar and nine cents In continental
while In the three countries where the people manage
the business It averages but fty-one cents Private
Persian Gulf ana Mediterranean Sea, across the
Gulf Of st. Lawrence, the Vineyard Sound, the
strait Of Florida, the English Channel, the North
Ii is suggestive fact that the amount Of news
furnished by the Western Union Telegraph Company
to the press OF the United States for an aggregate
sum OF S52l 500 per annum Il considerably greater
than the entire teiegraphic correspondence Of Conti
mental Europe Tor which those governments receive
grams has been stated at one dollar and cents,
while the average cost Of press kilograms in the
three and one-haif cents. The bill introduced BY
Mr. Washburne for the establishment OF government
word with an additional charge Of three cents for
delivery, and spuates that a reduction OF more
than fty per cent shall be made for press ieports
This rate would increase the average cost OF news for
the press OF the United States than three hun
dred per cent, and thus, II his plan be adopted, the
newspapers would be compelled to pay an extra tax
Of a million dollars per annum for the privileges
they now enjoy. IL IL shown that the highest Amer
rates for teegraphing are lower than the highest
foreign rates; the average American rates lower
than the average foreign rates, and the lowest
American rates are lower than the lowest foreign
rates. In order that fair comparison may be made
between the American and European systems OF
tcegraphy, SO far "a the rate Of charges Is con-
cerned this company presents q list OF sixty Of the
principal stations IN Europe and the same number
In the United States. with the tarir and distances
in air lines from London. and New York
the rates from London are more than
twice as much upon the average for the same
distance a. those from New York. In Belgium one
message Is sent TO each seventh person; in Great
Britain, one to each nve, and In the United States
one to each two and half The proportion Of tele
grams TO letters In Great Britain IL one to 12i; IN
switzerland, one TO Mxty-nine; In Belgium, one TO
two. The proposition OF Mr.. Hubbard TO deliver ele
grams by letter carriers In shown 10 be impracticable
as there are only forty-six places where the Post
once has established free delivery OF letters out Of
total OF 5000 post 0fYlces IN the United States.
The amount OF business done upon q wire in q
given time Is vastly greater In this country than In
any other. In Europe there are nearly three times
az many miles OF wire az there are IN this country,
and yet the wires In the United States transmit more
Europe combined. This singular fact In explained by
the superior character and ability Of our operating
staff and the more reliable construction OF lines.
ft worthy OF mention that while the rates for tee
more than half as much as the European charges
for the eafne distance yet the cost OF labor and
material IN nearly three times al great here as IN
Europe. The average weekly earnings IN Euulpnd
f<ra insa nf