Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-03-03
THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH.

The Senate Committee ON Post Offices
and Post Roads recently held an import
ant meeting in which the postal telegraph
bill was considered. Mr. Orion appeared
for the Western Union Telegraph Compa-
ny. contending that it is better to have the
Telegraph constructed as at present than
to pass into the hands of the government.
The tendency of things under its present
management is to Il reduction of rates he
argued, and the people are better served
than they would be under the proposed
bill. Mr.. Hubbard, who is one of the
principal movers for the new BILL replied
as follows:
There are two telegraph systems in OPP
eration-the governmental and the cor
porate-the latter in America, the former
in Europe. A comparison of the two ex
hibits the following results: In twenty
one States of Europe 394,79 miles of wire
have cost Sal 300, 597 gold, or SAT .000, 800
currency. In this country 104 ,584 miles
of wire have cost the Western Union Tel
egraph Company S4o, 100000. Four miles
under the governmental system cost no
more than one mile under the corporate.
In twenty-one States in Europe 90 1888, 900
messages were transmitted at a cost of
81 | 1896. 900 gold, or Sl3, 567 300 currency.
In this country S,400,770 messages were
sent for So, 73s,627. Average rates abroad,
forty-five cents in this country, seventy
one cents per message. The business in
Europe is done at profit where the rates
are the lowest.
Mr. Orion says the rates in this country
are cheaper by the mile than abroad.
This may be true; but as distance is one
of the essential elements of the cost any
comparison based ON such an estimate is
tallacious The Office expenses, the OPP
orators and clerks salaries, and at least
scventy-five per cent. of the operating ex-
penses are the same whether the message
is transmitted fifty or one thousand miles.
The telegraph is used more to-day in
| England, France, Switzerland, Belgium,
and the Netherlands, than in this country,
while the telegraph is used less by the pop
ulation living more than two hundred and
fifty miles from New York than by the in
habitants of the remaining European
States. The rates in the postal bill will
effect an average reduction of fifty per
cent. in the rates. Mr.. Orion contends
that TINS reduction cannot De maze without
mourning loss, to be borne by the COM
pany or the Post Office Department. The
experience of Europe proves that, upon
like reduction in rates, the business has
been increased over 100 per cent, while
the expenses have increased only about
| twenty-five per cent. that the length of
the telegram has been increased, and the
receipts have therefore been increased to
the amount nearly equal to the increased
expenses. In Switzerland the rates were
reduced from one franc to one-half franc
on the 1st of January, 1868. The net prof
it's were reduced from $4,000 to $4,000.
The same result will undoubtedly take
place in this country
A great saving of expenses will also be
made by uniting the telegraph with the
post office without any corresponding in
crease in the expenses of the department.
New kinds of business will be created by
the reduction in rates that will not require
to use the wires during banking hours,
when the wires are crowded with business,
and when the telegraph becomes the ordi-
nary means of communication, with re-