New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-11-29

the Postmaster-General TO nx the rates ior ai "0"
ment messages The Telegraph Company gave nou ,'
that they would longer do the WORK ior the on p
and as the Appropriations Committee had to inc
money In nav whatever sum was agreed upon, they
made pretty thorough investigation OF the entire ques
ton and were naturally led to look into 'ne easony
OF connecting the telegraph with the Post eetco' 81
az 10 make the Government independents OF s prVaVo
corporatlons The Postmaster-Genera urged upon 'pe
the views he had set forth in his annual reports Inc
Telegraph he argued, was means OF communicating
information of as great Importance as the mall ana
there was GOOD reason for the Government TO monopo
lie the business OF carrying letters ana newspapers
there was equallysg good reason why IL ,shouid
also control the telegraph By connecting IL WIN inc
posoce and the carrier system the advantages OF the
telegraph could be widely extended, ana the cost
of sendhg messages could be largely reduced below the
rates now chargediby the companies. Gen. Myer, the
Chief OF the Signal Service Bureau represented that 1t
was essential that he should have the power TO regulate
the time and manner which his dispatches should De
sent and all Government officials whom the committee
consulted agreed that the Government business should
have priority all other and thatt would never do 10
permit corporation to dictate to the United States and
DELAY az pleasure to It's officers and agents
OF course the Telegraph Company had good deal TO
in reply They claimed the right to control their own
property and to manage the 9nsneSs IA Ts g Ow
scheme because they did not care 10 sell tnelr Des 10
the Government unless at very large price ana 1eey
They far from consentng to the right otthe POST
maser-General to make taIin Tor Goyernmen. mes
dispatches transmitted at ts own hours In preference 10
any others This, they argued would be virtual COINS
cation Of their property by the Government Tor the e
being. -
The difficulty with the Western Union Company was
not settled when Congress adjourned in June The in
yestgaton made by the Committee resulted, however
In the framing OF bill that might be called COM
promise measure not as between the Government and
the Western Union - Company, but between the
Postmaster Generals plan of Postal Telegraph and the
present system OF independent OF
Government supervision and control The bill proposes
the creation OF gigantic postal telegraph company
very closely connected with the POstOhce Department
Representative Palmer OF Iowa, warm champion OF
this idea was authorized to report the bill for printing
and recOmmtta, but he did not get an opportunity 10
do so before the session closed ana IN the hurry anu e1
element OF the few days preceding the adjournment "
never got into the papers Mr. Palmer intends 70 pre-
sent II Monday. 1t receives the approval or Nv
eral members OF the Committee, but opposed
to it, or undecided 1t cannot therefore, De regaIueu
The blu is quite vOumnous but its essential features
may be summarized IN a single paragraph corpora
ton styled the Postal Telegraph Company is created
and number Of persons are named as corporations
chiefly unknown men who are presumably the personal
political friends OF members OF Congress sueh eelng
the custom in like The capital stock OF the Com
pany is TO be 100000 shares OF 500 each The COMPANY
is construct lines Of telegraph buy old ones,
and establish offices at all postofces where the gross
annual receipts for postage not iess than S5JO Inc
charge for messages fixed at cent per word (ll
words counted for each crcu circuit TO be 25o miles
for distances not exceeding 500 miles, and for greater
distances 500 miles At night 1000 miles is be
cult No message Is to be sent for less than % cents
The tariff includes the cost OF delivery within one mile
from the posofice and OF postage II the message Is
mailed from the receiving Office Messages must be pre-
paid by stamps supplied only by the PystOmce Depart
ment. All kilograms not received or dehVersd toIgh
the post-ofices must have yecent stamp Affixed Inc
pOsmaser 10 report the number OF stamps sold ana
MESSAGES c sent ssp s9a As RssssfT Ss Ie Co
pany the remainder OF the receipts for stamps. Pro-
visions are made for reduced rates for press dispatches
ernment business, and for pretty thorough control
over the Company by the Pos0hice Department, which
lines and instruments are Kept in proper condition and
that its business is efficiently conducted As the De
ty it will be well nigh absolute The bin provides
thai Congress may az any tine purchase all the lines
aud property vi tue Company 49,.
OBJECTIONS TO THE PLAN
Mr. Palmer's biz has obviously been prepared with
great deal Of care 1t emanatessfrom one OF the aoest
Committees Of the House. Although not formally put
forward the Committees work. 1t has no doubt Dehe
flied by the ideas OF its members, and 1t is worthy OF
thoughtful consideration SO far as il aims at securing
shsapsr oyed it viii Tec6les general approval the
other idea overwhelmingly, that OF pntllng he coho
of the telegraph practically IL not theO ~ ,
hands OF the GOyernment-Wlli meet wltn suoIs ~
man postal telegraph pure and simple Except 70 ia,
vance the money TO build the new INES or Duy tn o
the are to send and deliver dispatches ana
the Postmaster General Is 70 handle the IgI9s, WIZ
nessi Would not the company, by reason OF us con,
Dectfon with the Government, soon dtlye an
others from the field, and thus completely
onopolize the business Of teegraphingi Besides are
not all the wellknown arguments agalist 20 9s h
telegraph applicable this prOjecti Inc clclehey Oh ne
great army OF postmasers in securing the perpetnaton
of an administration pretty thoroughly shown III he
late canpagn, The POst0tfee Department became
political engine of immense power HOW Vastly us
power would be increased If 1t controlled all the ele
graph lines In the country every one can Teadly see
Probably it will be said that the proposed company
would he non political organization, but the power OF
the IL would be so great hat ne
could easily make partisan affair Of 1t II so disposed.
Another objection suggests itself: has Congress ue
right 10 force the existing telegraph companies 10
abandon their and sell their lines by charteIs
favored corporation with advantages that would en-
able IL 10 drive all competitors IRON the 1edi lhese
are some OF the objections that occur 10 mind upon
frat reading OF the bill. Doubtless much might be sald
m favor Of the plan, but journalist usually serves the
nubc best when he states the weak points OF new ana
imnortant project OF legislation, because IL is certain
that its merits will be forth in glowing colors Dy IN
terested advocates OF who are always captVated
by new ideas