The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-02-01

as very .unpromising. The number
i of ships and the tonnage employed ~
this productive trade have decilneu
! from 722 vessels and $50, 21s tons, IN
1916, to 2O5 vessels and AZ ,77 tons N
1872. Our whaling feet suffered ter
Iribly from the depredations OF pirate
Semmes during the late war OF rebel
lion. Within a year or two back 9
large number Of ships were lost Dy
delaying in the Arctic waters till win
terfinally overlook and destroy ed them
in its icy embrace. The immense e1-
pense Of petroleum production mas
prevented any late enlargement OF the
whaling business.
And now comes Hon. David A. Wells
with O yoluminous statement IN New
York paper Of Saturday last, to prove
to the public that the postal telegraph
bill now pending in Congress IS q snare
and a delusion. This statement is ~
columns in length, fine type at that,
and is calculated to mislead those not
posted in regard to the matter, coming
as it does, from such an eminent sta
tistician as Mr.. Wells. 1t is not sup
posed that the Western Union Tele-
graph Company is going to expend
much money in guarding the dear
people" against frauds. The object
of these yoluminous statements is,
therefore, to perpetuate the immense
and increasing power they now pos
sess, and hold the public to high tele-.
graphic rates, when it is demonstrated
beyond all question that in European
countries the people are enjoying low
rates and ample facilities for CORES
pondence by telegraph. One fact alone
is sufficient to show Mr.. Wells state
ment is not to be relied upon. For in
stance, in table annexed to his state
ment, he gives the total receipts from
messages transmitted in nineteen coun-
tries Of Europe at S14, 455, 1852, and the
total expenses $40, 675,478. Included
in this latter amount is $6,2s7 1893
paid for constructing new lines, which
he omits to state. Deduct that amount
from the gross expenses, and we have
a net profit of 81, O67 1894, instead of
a deficit Of 1920, 1876, or all average
OF 46 cents per message instead of 60
cents as he states. Taking the sta
tlstics OF European telegraphs as a |
basis, the friends of the Postal Tele-
graph deduce the fact that an increase
OF business does not necessitate cor
responding increase Of expenses. Mr..
Wells says that the average increase
IN messages transmitted in five years
in four countries Of Europe was 2OOa
per cent, and the average increase of I
expenditures 81 per cent, thus dis
proving the assertions of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, and Mr.. |
Wells himself, and confirming the I
statement of the friends of the Postal
Telegraph, that with low rates and
plenty of business the American pub
lie may be furnished the means Of
rapid communication between the dis
tant points.
The Courier DIES Etats Unis of New
I DIRK, though lately an organ of i'm
perialism, confesses that Frencllmen.
Doth IN France and in this country.
'egard the emperor and his played out
iynasty with cool disdain. Napoleon
Ii really died at Sedan ten years ago.
With the wholesale surrender of his
'rmy burst the great bubble of Ma
'oleon Casarism, which the first Ma
'oleon expanded to such wonderful
dimensions, and which his late sue
essor had seemingly reproduced.
his element OF reactionary despotism
viii then be eliminated from French
olitics. It remains to be seen how
ong the Legitimists and Orleanists
an sustain the assaults of rising re-
ublieanism in France. f
ALERT. E