The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-22

mo country in the world is there SO vast
! system of lines under one control as in this.
| In no country is the business done go well
or 80 cheaplJ,, and nowhere else has there
ever been so earnest an endeavor made to
serve the people faithfully and satisfacto-
rily. The cost of construction of the tele-
graph. lines in Great Britain and Ireland is
81 ,029.70 per mile. On this basis the value
of theslines belonging TO the Western Union
Company is $52,l66,076 60. The Western
Union Company has 8 1881 telegraph Offices,
-50.760 miles Of line, 97,4l6 miles of wire,
265 submarine cables, and {, 1889 skilled per-
=soDs in, it's employ. The assertion that
the telegraph facilities are-better in
those countries where it is under govern
mental control than in those where it is
left to private enterprise is shown by Off
cial statistics to be entirely erroneous. In
Continental Europe, where the telegraphs
are Under Government control, there are
hut 4,347 Offices for population of over
5G,000,000; while Great Britain, the Do
minion of Canada, and the United States,
where the telegraph has hitherto been left
to the control of the people, furnish $3.50
telegraph Offices for q population Of "a ,00O,-
900. The number of kilograms transmit
ted per annum in Continental Europe is
only II, 4s6,0 900, while there were sent by
the people of the three countries where it
has been hitherto free from Government
monopoly Is, 74l,0 900.
THE SUCCESS or, PRIVATE ENTERPR1sE-
THE PRESS.
The tariff of charges average 81 09 in
Continental Europe, counting the messages
actually transmitted, while in the three
countries, where the people manage the
business, it averages but ffty-one cents.
Private enterprise laid the submarine ca
bles through the Persian Gulf and Medi-
terrsnean sea, across the Gulf Of st. Law
renee, the Vineyard sound, the Strait of
Florida, the English channel, the North
sea, and the German and Atlantic oceans.
1t is suggestive fact that the amount of
news furnished by the Western Union Tele-
graph Company to the press of the United
States for an aggregate sum of 1921 500 per
annum is considerably greater than the en-
tire telegraph correspondence of Continen-
tai Europe, for which those Governments
receive $l1,597,632 The average cost of
continental kilograms has been stated at
$l.09, while the average cost of press tele-
grams in the United States under our CO.
operative system is but three and half
| cents. r..sz .-... l.. ...... ~ ...r- 49,.
The bill introduced by FIR. Washburne
for the establishment of Government lines
provides for o general tariff of one cent
per word, with an additional charge of
three cents for postage, and two cents for
delivery, and stipulates that reduction of
not more than fifty per cent. shall be made
for press reports. This rate would increase
the average cost of news for the press of
the United States more than 300 per cent.
and thus, if his plan be adopted, the news
papers would be compelled to pay an extra
tax of 100000 per aunum for the priv
| lege they now enjoy.
1t is shown that the highest American
rates for telegraphing are lower than the
| highest foreign rates. The average Anne
rican rates are 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 Euro
pean systems of telegraphing, so far as the
rate of charges is concerned, this company
presents list of sixty of the principal sta
| tons in Europe and the same number in
| the United States, with the tariff and dis
! tances in air-lines from London and New
York respectively, by which it appears that
| the rates from London are more than twice
as much, upon an average, for the same
distances as those from New York. In Bel
| GUM, one message is sent to each seventh
| person. in Great Britain, one to each five
| in the United States, one to each two and q
half. The proportion of kilograms to let
tiers in Great Britain is to l2l; in Swift
erland, to Co. in Belgium, to 81 and
in the United Statea, to q.
The proposition Of Mr.. Washburne to
deliver kilograms by letter. carriers is shown
to be impracticable, as there are only forty
six places where the postoffice has estab-
lished free delivery Of letters out Of total
of $4,000 postoffices in the United States.
The amount of business done upon q wire
in given time is vastly greater in this
country than in any other. In Europe
there are nearly three times as many miles
| of wire than in this country, and yet the
wires in the United States transmit more
Geographic matter per annum than all the
| lines of Europe combined. This singular
fact is explained by the superior cha
racter and ability of our operating staff
and the more reliable construction of
our lines. 1t is worthy of mention that
while the rates for telegraphing in the
United States do not average much more
than half as much as the European charges
for the same distances, yet the cost of labor
and material is nearly three times as great
here as in Europe. The average weekly
earnings in England for all kinds Of labor
including professional, domestic, CONNER
| cial, agricultural, and industrial-are So Is,
while in Continental Europe the average is
considerably less. Letter.carriers in Eng
| land receive twenty-four cents per day, and
in the United States S2.lS. The number
of letter-carriers employed by the British
| Postofice Department for the year 1866 was
IL ,449, and the total expenditures for the
same were S2,664,O 900, being an average OF
| 1892 .6S per annum to each man.
The number of letter-carriers employed
by the Postofice Department of the United
States for the year 1866 was S63, and the
total expenditures for the same we're $685.
236-an average of 81 ,662.77 for each man
The British postofice delivered 705 ,000,0 0C
letters for the year 1866, while the United
States Postofhce Department delivered bu.
56,000,000. -.zErs. .-
| THE RATES.
The assertion that the consolidation Of
the telegraph lines of the United States
caused an increase in the rates for tele-
graphing is not true. In no instance has
the tariff been increased since the consoli-
dalton. On the contrary, there has been q
steady decrease. The rates to more than
1000 stations have been lowered, and this
course is still being rapidly continued
The Western Union Company is now pre-
pairing tariff of rates based on line Of
distances between all stations, which
| will cti1J fprtbar cimpJiPu on5 chaopar