New-York tribune., 1869-01-22
Mr.. oRToN on THE TELEGRAPH.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.-Mr. Orion, President
of the Western Union Telegraph Company. laid before
the House Committee on PostOiccs, to-day, paper
the proposed union of the telegraph and postal systems
This paper presents thorough and exhaustive state
men Of the present condition of the electric osraph
IN Europe and America. The company mas eVdehuy
taken great pains TO collect the most accurate niorna-
ton upon the subject and tho facts presented therefore
tics show that there + arseE number % 9f telegraph
Offices proportion TO tee population 0r n this HS e9eni
Europe there Is but one telegraph office for
states there Is one for every 7649. The
total number Of telegrams transmitted in Europe
M an expense of 28OOO The average cost 81 SO
per message. The Western Union Telegraph Company
transmits l0O500 kilograms per annum, at cost OF
s572sOOO being average Of 81 cents per message
The European otasties n.gdo Leland w international
and transit messages and thus present larger number
OF kilograms than are actually transmitted as tne seine
those OF tho Western Union Telegraph company are
counted but once although they may traverse thousands
Srober Ui %es allowances y sr e dnpcan in counting
IN Europe, the actual number OF dispatches sent
each In no country in Europe be teiegraphlc admin
stration connected with the PostOhee IN France ana
Spain the teegraphs under the control OF the Minis
ter Of Tie Interior In Russia Prussia and Italy they
belong the Ministry OF Public Works In Belgium thS
sion under the Minister OF Public Works but are kept
distinct In Austria the administration Of the telegraphs
and Post Office was time united, but it was found
expedent TO separate them IN s~Izeriaha tne tee-
graphic organization is nearly the same as in pTnssa
simply the elements of an auxiliary staff but all the per
sons employed in the transmission Of teegrams depend
ton, and in the annual budget an appropri-
alton is made for that service distinct from
1854 to OI Consolidate the post aud telegraph service,
but owing 70 the strong opposition eylnced on te paT Oi
nation, N relihqnished. It was not until several
years after the Introduction OF the electric telegraph III
America that IL opened 10 the people by any IuIO
pean Government Even in France the electric tele,,
graph was established as late as 1851 and its spread
fhp Enni W
aphOre defective aud inefeient system OF conveying
Intelligence by the exhibition OF sgnals was SUN IN use; 49,
ssStro @ % Rsnt of lines and long Teia5ea 70 EN- %
Western Union Telegraph Company is more than twice
that Of France three times greater than that OF Prussia
EQUALS the aggregate systems OF Austria Prussia.
the lesser German States. Italy, spaiD Belgium, and
Switzerland and II Is increasing IN larger rsto than
Company has added 10 its lines during the year Sos more
than S0o miles Of WIRE or as mae AZ INC entire system
system ofnes under one control as IN this In no country
else has there ever so earnest eqdeayOr made
70 serve the people faithfully and satisfaetOrly The
and Ireland s 81 Ss II per me on this basis the value
OF tv lines belonging 20 the Western Union Telegraph
Company is O79 The Western Union Telegraph
Company has 1881 telegraph Offices, 60to miles Of line,
s7M6 miles OF wire, 265 submaIine cables, aud e3s9
egaphc facilities are better IN those countries where
left to private ENTERPRISE is shown by oeai statistics
70 be entirely erroneous In Continental Europe where
but lSl offices population Of 2SoOOOOOO while
Great Britain the D6nnon of Canada, and tho United
States where the telegraph has hitherto beon left 10 the
control OF the people, furnish $3.50 telegraph offices for
population OF "a 100000 The number VI telegrams trans
United per Ia Continental Europe Is only 24ss OO
who there sent by the people OF the three cou
tries where IL has been hitherto free fom Government
monopoly ieAT1 900. The tariff Of charges
dollar aud nine cents In Continental Europe. counting
the messages actually transmitted; while In the three
countries where the people manage the business 10 aver
ages but hfy-One cents friyeto enterprise laid the
submarine cables through the Persian Gulf and Mod
terrapean Sea- across the Gulf OF st. Lawrence; the
vineyard sound the Strait OF Florida the English Chan
nell the North Sea and te German and Atlantic oceans
IL 10 suggestive fact that the amount Of fur
nshed by The Western Union Telegraph Company to the
ress OF the United States for an aggregate sum OF
2Oy per annum ia considerably greater than the On
tire teegraphc correspondence OF Continental Europe,
TOT Whoh those Governments receive nl,J97632. the
average cost OF Continental eegrnms has been stated at
VI o. While The average OF Press telograms Ia the