New-York tribune., 1869-02-25


csely that pursued by Belgium and England which ao-
qued 1t by negotiation and purchase OF private eompa
Mr. washburnes plan is not calculated to succeed for
R The BroSer e i
TALLY built four wire line between washington and New,
eHperimenai @ ine Of Mr. Washburne The capital
Of that Company g. 100000 OF which $4,000 has been
pany In communication addressed TO the Committee,
that with the exercise OF the utmost economy and
existing rates be made to pay more than It's
operating expenses and has paid dividends or in
tween washington and New.York and a fourth is build
ing When the Government enters the Held It VIII & en-
and in that competition its lines must go
to the wall for however unremuneraye s ne tbaip age
losses out other lines which they own In other terrific
y while the Government mUst a eeh m ho to make low
rates between Washington and al the
pa x sections ony OF great and raed
private systems cannot be otherwise than failures Two
tSsethsr With success to either or with benefit to the
public The functions Of the Government are necessarily
not be allowed TO exercise them and must be rgidy ex-
cuded was the with the private expresses which
Both Mr.. Hubbard and Mr. washburne rely on the ex-
amples of Belgium and switzerand but there is no SIM SIM
OF the United States. Belgium has the densest
d he rPeS Ss iSsf bns en to the mile
GUM is less than quarter part as large az rev"
w"y ahd ySt Between England france and GerSny hold
ing the closest relations with S eaen the RaSay
Telegraph aud PosO together most OF the telegraph
offices being at railway stations . mas & recently s
requires extraordinary dispatch viz: half franc or
STANCES as low S rates in the United States Thus
tariff between Washington and Baltimore mas or con,
siderable time been only ten cents, and the distance
fully equal to the average OF Belgian distances This is
supposed to be remunerative rate nor ls tue III
Land tariff Of Belgium thus far remunerative In 1865
the Belgian telegraplc service shower oss
500 900 francs and this would have Deeh inuch
it had for the receipts from internaoai ana
OF the country which yielded revenue OF l41oo rhes %
against s9oO 900 francs from domestic mnssheos % so
are only 374 offices in Belgium, and II all the aonestc
sent in 1867 were divided between aaY in e
would give only six messages to each Tor each aay Ia tuo
year, and at half franc these would give gross %
lowest class OF American OPERATOR ,h -
smaller both In occupied territory ana IN population lua
Belgium. but IL Is aeSa who Tse the Telegraph for
their various wants as 1t u used no "nere else III .
as well the telegraph; and WITH quite gne
ms much proproty; Both IN SMt%ei M i muu ~
Europe does half the price OF the Uhtcd
States Labor constitutes co cent OF the cost OF oPe
ating American lines far tuser comparison would De
with the whole OF Europe. Distances are shorter han IN
this country. and although the lines traverse the terri
tory many nations there no national DOunuafes
on the telegraphc map The whole number OF messages
sent in Europe IN 1906 was s6SaOoc and the sum re-
rency This makes the average cost oi these mes
sages at 7I cents Inc western ercsn SmU hpsc ad
which alone furnished statistics to tho Committee,
for tile year ending June 30 1901 transmitted lOo6 600
messages aud received for the t57o9oOo equal to
81 cents message, and In that number a not Included
the vast OF railway business nor the regular dis
patches 10 the press In which number OF words de-
yered were 200, equal 20 720o messages OF 20
words each In Europe the press dispatches are not
tenth paTt OF those Of this country The number Of Offices
to population is vastly greater here than IN Europe la
Prussia there Office 10 every 3OOO In France, one
10 81 oOO Britain. 10 1900 In Belgium, one
every 1900; in switzerland one TO every oo and IN
the United States one every 1900 IN the Pacific staies
one every 2OO SO 10 the use made OF the telegraph
America stands preeninent In France ihe number ol
10 every in Great Britain, one To every hye n Bel
and switzerland one to every four and In the United
Mr. Hubbards scheme Is not for the establishment OF
strictly Governmental line He asks FOR charter 10 en-
able him and his associates o incorporate and operate
branch OF the public service which IL to be created by
messages by contract kenng IT 10 the carrying of the
mails. He avows that he expects TO make profitable
thing also. What right or proPrety s there IN granting
him chartert Congress decided against all such grants
| In 1866; aud there is 80 new element IN the sit
nation which would justify the reversal Of that decision
There are no % Tor Iron" ~ Lv not no
IN favor Of such scheme part OF the press Is dis
satisfied with the existing arrangements Tor tho coec
ton and transmission OF but Is claimed that
the prices charged by the telegraph companies are u
reasonable on the other hand many OF the most inu-
ential Journals openly opposed 10 meddDR with
the telegraph by the Government The National Board
OF Trade convened Cincinnati In the Autumn, voted
against the Postal Telegraph scheme The Cousttu-
onal right OF Congress TO grant charter 20 private
company to build telegraph lines within the States, with
out their consent lis very questionable Except banks.
as a part of the public fiscal system, 1t has char
Congress Is asked In this bin confer on Mr. Hubbard
and his associates tho right OF eminent domain; right
which the Federal Government never exercise, IL II pos
H. when II desires acquire Land ~ tho states
navy yard lighthouse, or postoce " applies TO the
state for leave TO purchase and for transfer OF The uTs
only passes the Jurisdiction, but provides Tor the
appropriation Of the land under It's right OF emf
Sent 10 SELL Congress is not likely. in be-
half or for the profit OF private parties, to
necessary public purposes Though II may be claimed
that the United States Postal Telegraph Company is TO
he virtually public corporation because IL is designated
to aid In the performance Of public service II really has
no title TO be so called as the business Is essentially
to he still shared by private companies. An extremely
system is the right to secure priority In the transmission
OF messages by paying an extra price Tor ine RUE Oh
would destroy the usefulness OF tho service. and
transform II into pernleous engine OF specu;;
principle In respect TO Government works. Whatever
service falls within the proper functions Of the Govern
through the Intervention of private parties reapng
intermediate profit 1t is proper subject OF taxation.
Treasury No company looking for 10 cent iyIdends
carrying the malls does not violate this principle. The
postal service does not consist only or chiefly 10 carrying
locked malb that Is transportation merely and an
entirely mechanical and subordinate part OF the system
Tho Government has no occasion TO build railroads for
the transportation Of Its malls because they already exist
for the much more important business OF carrying freight
and passengers But the transportation OF telegram
the wires is the essential element OF that service To
which all the skill aud all the responsibility attaches. and
H. be done successfully except under All Immediate
responsibility To tho party sending This responsibility
the OF contractor would never fear Mr. Hub
bards mixes the service aud the srvants OF tho
contractors aud Of the Government In Such manner
that the public will fall between two stools How this
system to he made profitable to the contractor IL can
only be by putting nearly all the cost upon tho Govern
nent The and maintenance OF lines and the wages
Of foperaors all that fall on the contractor all the
rest must bo borne by the Government When
1t il considered that In the large cities the tee'
graph occupies much more space than the PostOhice,
that In New.Yo alone there are nearly hundred