Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-26
Postal Tc.egraphing.

The proposition TO have our government ony
mail the telegraph lines and make the business
OF telegraphing part of its work, IS one OF
those inconsderate schemes which should not
be allowed TO waste the time OF congress. The
objections to it are insuperable. Those who
favor 1t have constantly assumed and repre-
sened that the Western Union Company is
eager to sell out its lines to the government, al
though the assumption is wholly unfounded.
This company has now sent TO congress formal
protest against the measure. After stating
that, as it does uine-ienths of the telegraphing,
it ought TO have hearing, the protest urges
that no one complains that the company's bust
ness is not done with strict regard to the rights
of the public and then shows how impossible it
would be for the post Office department to con-
duct the business successfully, while the
change would be fatal TO the enterprise which
attends the business in private hands.
The next point made is that the bill intro
duccd in the senate disregards the rights OF ex-
listing companies, and makes very suspicious
provision for the benefit of certain "benifcia-
ries." Il is made plain, also, that this bill be-
trays great ignorance OF the essential needs and
methods of the business of telcgraphiDg; and
this is so manifest that but little consideration
seems necessary to make plain, that the public
could not fail to suffer eat annoyance and in
justice, should the business be done as its pro-
visions prescribe. 1t is urged that the change
would exempt great amount OF property
from state and municipal taxation; that it
would make the company an agency of the
United States, and thus render it impossible to
seek redress effectively, for defective or iniuri-
Gus service; and that it will furnish opportuni-
ty for thicving jobs and defalcations. The com
pany are unwilling 10 believe that congress
can want)nly destroy private rights, by putting
in operation the provision of this bill, or disre-
gard the fact that the Western Union company
now docs the business of the government at less
than cost, under the act of 1866, which is rea lily
a contract
This protest corrccts several misapprehensions
and hasty assumptions, which have been used
by those who would add the business of tele-
graphing to that which is now peculiar to the
post Office department. If our country were as
sun Ill and as densey populated as England, it
would still be sad mistake for the government
to take this business in hand; Tor its agency
should be confined to such business as
can not be managed by private enterprise;
and it can not undertake anything outside oil
this without violating the genius Of our institu.
lions. As it is our county is nearly as large as
all Europe, and the various conditions and in
fueneeS to which government teegraphins
would he subjected, could not fail TO annoy III,
pubic, open the way to endless jobbcry, ant
make heavy drafts on the treasury. We hav
as much TO do with Geographic dispatches a
most people; and it is very certain that we pre-
fer to deal with private parties who can be hel
TO responsibility for neglect, and for all othC
shortcomings. This business Of telegraphin
is business which our government should ne
be allowed to control, any more than it shout
be allowed to control the printing and deliver
of newspapers.