National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-05

900. 600 messages, which, at m average Of 8it
cents per message, will yield gross revenue
OF el0 10000.
per cent. on cost for interest, (s59i, OOOD
per cent. on cost for a sinking fund to recover
principal, (t59I, 0OO,) 90 per cent. on cost for
maintenance supplies, SC, (72, 800 OOO'l and
10 per cent. Of gross revenue for extensions,
lei, 900 OOO,) total, sI,56i,oO0 leaving for
salaries Is, 1890
ted Kingdom, where the pOstnasters provide |
for the service, IL only about Onc-tOurth as |
much a. the aggregate cost Of the GOO offices I
where the department employs a separate /
tclegraphic staff. While the plan Of allowing /
the postmasters to provide the telegrGphic
service has there worked satisfactorily, am
Of the opinion that Il could not be adopted
here with equal success. Hence, estimate
for a saving la salaries only At those offices
where the postmaster could personally per
form the work. These offices II Is safe to
say, number fully 1900, at which an average
extra allowance Of $500 per annum would se-
cure to the Department a skilled operator ~
postmaster. This would Involve an expendi-
ture of $500 900. Arrangements with the
railroads for commissions on private business
transacted by them would provide for the
working Of about 600 offices, as above stat
ed, costing the Department perhaps SlOO,OO.
Fifteen hundred offices, Including branches,
would then be left, now worked by 1900 en-
pIoyees Of ali grades, whose salaries would
have to be borne entirely by the telegraph.
An increase Of 80 per cent In this force would
be sufficient to provide for the doubled busi-
ness, and the salaries Of these 2, 5OOemplOyecS'
ut an average Of eco, would consume the
residue Of e4,5O0, 600.
The foregoing estimate cannot be expected
to be infinitely accurate. Comparison win
the figures Of the companies will show them
10 be exceedingly liberal, especially In the
= - 4 ball Nha nNf
workings Of the system would give much bet
ter results for the Department. The statitics
of Europe can afford no adequate Idea OF
what may be done In this country. people
who use the telegraph so largely Us We do,
under the great difficulties hereinbeiore emu
merated, Will promptly respond to the utmost
advantages that can be offered them. with
much frser more extended, and more active
social and commercial intercourse than pre-
walls between the different States OF Europe,
with a population rapidly increasing and
Eeenly alive TO all the demands Of progress
siye civilization, and with territory offering
by its vast extent the greatest inducements to
the use Of the telegraph In preference to the
mail II may be safely predicted that tele-
graphy In America will hereafter solve pro
blems and accomplish results that will far
outstrip Its wonderful achievements In the
In presenting the foregoing views and
recommendations, have confined myself en-
tirely to the wants Of the people In state OF
peace and have sought only to provide suit
able facilities for the development OF our
social, Industrial, commercial, maritime, agri-
cultural, and educational resources, and to
bind together our extended population ny
that intimate knowledge which cheap and
extended mode Of instantaneous Intercourse
can alone give.
There il another aspect Of the subject much
more impressive. In time OF war-and God
II I'm.
ity-a postal telegraph Will become OF supreme
importance. The Government, when engaged
In a struggle which may involve its very eN-
istence or the honor and liberties OF the
American people, cannot and Will not permit
the telegraph, unrivalcd rs a means OF com
munication, to remain In the hands oil any IN
dlvidual, company, or corporation Al snch
time, public dispatches must be forwarded
with the greatest celebrity and absolute secrecy.
Sworn officers of the Government Will alone
I've trusted to discharge duties INVOLVING the
most tremendous consequences Hence near
ly all the great nations OF the earth nave as
gumed the management ana control ot the
telegraph within their respective borders, and
the United States must do likewise
Before closing this subject, desire brleuy
to express my dlsapproyal OF the scheme pro-
posed for the Incorporation OF company
Improperly called The Postal Telegraph
Company to operate Its lines In connection
analogy with the workings OF the mail service
In any important particular. In the latter
the Department transmits the mails under the
charge OF Its own officers, and controls 9ll lhe
machinery needed for that purpose. In the
former, II Ia proposed to make the Depart
ment mere agent to receive and deliver te!e'
graph messages for the heneht ana proht Of 4
private corporation. The terms OF the pro
posed charter require the GoNernment "a
furnish stamps, stamped paper and station
cry TO receive the message from the trans
mitter, take the pay therefor, SEQ that The
proper stamp Is affixed, and hand over inc
message to the operator OF the company ana
then, at the office Of delivery, TO see that II il
properly written out envelnped and deliver
ed The Government Ia required To provide
and equip suitable statiOn-hOuses for all the
offices, operators, instruments, and batteries
nf the company.
The Government Il also required to Keep oil
accounts arising out Of the business Of telc'
graphing; make reports TO the company at
stated times, and pay over all the moneys
chArgeable upon the gross number OF mes
sages, after deduCtlng , cents only on all dis
patches other than press dispatches, and 4
cents only on them. II thus appears that,
while the company il only required to provide
the lines, batteries aud operators, and the
Government everything else, the company Is
TO receive (shOuld the average receipt PET
message be no higher than 40 cents about ~
only IS per cent. Doubtless Il most excellent
arrangement for the company, hut doubtless
most Improbable one for the Government
Furthermore, the supervisory power BlVtt
the Postmaster General Is dclusOn, because
every order that he might make, however i'm
pOrtant or unimpOrtant, would he subject t.
an appeal, upon the application OF the com
pany, to n board Of arbitrator, and, on iaiurt
or refusal Of the company to perform any
duty, the Postmaster General, provided h
should be sustained by the arbitrator wOulC
have no remedy other than to take possession
Of the lines of the company, and "contrac
with some suitable party for the perform
Ance' Of the service. The Government, mas
much "a It would deal directly with the par
ties sending and receiving messages, would b,
alone looked to for redress In case Of default
and yet II would have no adequate power 4
compel the company to execute Its contract
This would lead to endless confusion an
irrecOncilahle conflicts between the Govern
ment and the company, and would certainl
result In great Inconvenience and pecuniar
disaster to the people; and before the expira
ton Of the ten years Of the contract, the Gov