Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1869-01-22
EiTRsT 8F TElEGRAPH.'
-wAsHINGToN.
milton,

nave aFFfVeu tnere, wh0-have- -E1aue- THEIR tt
representation to the State, Departments
upon the condition of their Island. They
affirm that there are from 10000 to Is 600 in
the insurgent force, well armed and organ
ized, and that any number can be raised so
soon as arms sufficient are landed upon the
Island. They require no men from the
United States. I'VE have men enough
All we want is arms and ammunltIOn."
They seek recognition as belligerents,
and many in Congress favor this. y, oeal
Woman's Rieh hts Convention.
T., "a !. .WAsHINGTos, Jan. 81.
The National Woman's Rights Conven-
ton has adjourned. Il adopted resolu-
tiohs demanding that women and colored |
men shall be eligible to Congress; that
women shall have equal pay for labor as
men, and suffrage shall be based on 10y atty |
and intelligence. An address will be is
sued to the country.
Nominalion.
The President has nominated VIM. z. |
Cummings as Internal Revenue Assessor
for the 1st District of New York.
Telegraph and Postal, System-I
Paper from the Western Union
Telegraph Company. II
Mr.. Orten, President of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company, laid before
the House committee on Postoffices, to-day,
| a paper on the proposed union of the
telegraph and postal system. This paper
presents thorough and exhaustive state
ment of the present condition of the elec-
trio telegraph in Europe and America.
The statistics show that there is a larger
number of telegraph offices in proportion
| to the population of this country than in
any other in the world; while in Europe
there is but one telegraph office for every
47651 of its inhabitants, in the United
States there is one for every 1919.
The total number of kilograms trans
mitted in Europe. per annum, according to
the official reports, is 1,6S30 900, at an ex-
pense of $15. 2S6,000. The average cost was
Sl3 cents per message. The Western
Union Telegraph Company transmits TO-
067,000 kilograms per annum, at cost of
So. 72S 600, being an average of rs cents
per message.
The European statistics include ireland.
international and transit messages, and
these present a larger number of tele-
grams than are actually transmitted, as
the same message is sometimes counted In
several countries, while those of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company are count
ed but once. By a proper allowance for
i duplication in countries in Europe, the
actual number OF dispatches sent was a.
OH 600, at an average cost of 81 % each.
In no country in Europe is the telegraph
| administration connected with the post
office. In France and Spain the telegraphs
are under control of the Minister of the
Interior. In Russia, Prussia and Italy
they belong to the Ministry OF Public
Works. In Belgium the telegraph, rail-
ways and postoffice form general division.
under the Minister of Public Works, but
are kept distinct. In Austria the adminis-
tration of the telegraph and the postoffice
were at one time united. but it was found
expedient to separate them. In Switzer-
land the telegraphic organization is nearly
| the same as in Prussia. The postOffice.
custom house and private establishments
supply the elements of an auxiliary staff,
but all the persons employed in the trans
mission of kilograms depend on the admin
istration of telegraphs for their compensa-
tion, and in the annual budget an appro-
priation is made for that service distinct
| from the postoffice.
An effort was made in France in 1864
to consolidate the postoffice and telegraph,
but owing to strong opposition on the
part of the chief functionaries of both SER
vices to such an amalgamation, it was re-
linquished. 7-'r..i vi 1899 =
The extent of lines and wire belonging
| to the Western Union Company, is more
than twice that of France, three times
greater than that of Prussia, and equal the
| aggregate systems OF Austria, Prussia, the
lesser German States, Italy. Spain, Bel
gium and Switzerland, and it is increasing
| in larger ratio than any European sys-
| tenn. ..i5f-'.-'.1iA H.- --& q. .9''-''i
The cost of construction of the telegraph
line in Great Britain and Ireland is SILL
O29.7l per mile. On this basis the value of
the lines belonging to the Western
Union Company is $50 166, ,079.60. The
Western Union has 1881 telegraph Offices,
/ 80, 76O miles of line, 97,4l6 miles of wire.
| 265 submarine cables and 6 ,3S9 skilled per-
4 sons in its employ. .Hr --+ 't'" t
In Continental Europe, where the tele-
graphs are under Government control,
| there are hut 4347 Offices for a population
of over $50 100000, while Great Britain, the
Dominion OF Canada, and the United States,
where the telegraph has hitherto been left
to the control of the people, furnish $3.50
| Offices for population OF $4,000 0C0.
The number of telegrams transmitted
per annum in Continental Europe is only
| IL 4S6.000, while there were sent by the
people of the countries where it has been
hitherto free from Government monopoly,
| 1S.471 600. 'iG" i+f'
The tariff of charges averages S1.09 in
| Continental Europe, counting the messages
actually transmitted, while in the countries
where the people manage the business, it
averages but 81 cents. 1t Isl suggestive
| fact that the amount of news furnished by
the Western Union Company to the press
of the United States for an aggregate sum
of S521 sos per annum, is considerably
respondence of Continental Europe, for
which those Governments rect i've but
$1l. .597. .632 ...-.. .s.
Tn bill Introduced by Mr.. Washburne
| for the establishment OF Government lines
provides for general tariff of one cent.
per word, with an additional charge OF
| three cents for delivery, and stipuates 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 three hundred per cent. and thus, if
| his plan be adopted, the newspapers would
would be compelled to pay an extra tax
of a million dollars per annum Tor the
| privileges they now enjoy. .
The proposition of Mr.. Hubbard to de-
| liver kilograms by letter carriers is shown
| to be impracticable, as there are only for6y-
| six places where the post office has estab-
lehed free delivery OF letters, out ofa total
| OF 20 600 postoffices in the United States. 81
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
distance, yet the cost of labor and material
is nearly three times as great here as in
Europe. - -J.,-- ~
The assertion that the consolidation of
the telegraph lines in 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-
dation. On the contrary, there has
been a steady decrease, the rates
to more than one thousand stations hav-a
ing been lowered, and this coarse is rap
idly continued.
The policy and practice of this Company
favor production OF the rates on dispatches
i as rapidly as the necessary expenses of the
service will admit, aud it offers, if the Gov
ernment will abolish its tax on the re-
ceipts for transmitting kilograms, to lower
the rates, until the reduction upon the
gross receipts of business done shall be
twice as much as the tax remitted; this
would lessen the rates for telegraphing
L A,., md hc.. fnr