The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-01-07
Tho Government as Telegraph
= ..--. Company,


I. ,.-- Company
. II Is to be hoped the disclosures In re-
gard to the Pacific Railroad corruption
in Congress will check the present ten
deney to all sorts Of jobbtug under the
patronage and at the expense Of the
Government. The readiness Of Congress
to vote the money or the credit Of the
United States for tho use Of individuals
is not only injurious in itself, but it is q
symptom Of an unWholesOme hxitY in
the popular mind respecting thepowers OF
the Government and the private rights Of
the people. @ sfr
OF all the mistaken, mischievious
schemes that have yet found advocates at
Washington, about the worst is the pro-
iect to have the Government take posses
sion of the telegraph lines throughout the
country and manage them in conjunction
with the Post Office department. II 1t
aWefe not that the popular apprehen'
sion as to the legitimate functions OF the
Government has been somewhat confused
and demoralized by its necessary exercise
onIarbIrary and extraordinary powers
during the past few years, proposition
like this would be universally looked upon
11as monsrous. 1t comes now when we
iahSye become accustomed to innovations
in that direction; and it finds influential
advocacy in Official quarters where the
unmistakable tendency to an enlargement
of powers meets, If not with conscious
sympathy, at least with no resistance.
The present Postmaster General, who
Is the most conspicuous attorney Of the
measure has shown himself not only
eager TO be invested with increased pat
ronage and powers, but not particularly
scrupulous or successful in the use OF
what he has. His urgent recommends
lions in this matter arc 10 received with
caution. Ills report on tho subject IS
found to contain gross inaccuracies OF
fact. In his anxiety to have himself in
vested with this feature of monarchical
administration in Europe, he states that
tho English telegraphs which are now in
the hands Of the government, yielded the
first year after the change was made
net revenue Of $3,3O1, O54. The Journal
of the Telegraph, which reviews MIR.
CREsswEIL, shows that instead OF this
revenue, there was an actual loss OF 3d.
S9s285. Mr.. CREsswEIL states the cost
of the English lines to be $0O37,39 but
the report of MIR RE,the head Of
English system, shows that this cost was
500 100000, with an addition ofnearly
five millions for Improvements up to
April !, 1871. Mr.. CREsswELL claims that
the telegraph lines in this country cost
but ten million dollars and could be re-
placed for something less than twelve
millions But the Journal takes Mr..
CREsswELI's own. authority, Mr.. CHEs-
TER, and shows that he estimated the cost
ofthe present lines at $43, 100000, while on
the basis of the only line Mr.. CHESTER
ever built they would cost $685. 900.
BIr. CREsswELL states that the average
rate of the W. U. Company per message
in 1879 was 70 cents. The Company's re.
port shows that it was O9 cents. While
Mr.. CREsswELL charges that the W. ..
Company's rates have advanced twenty
per cent since 1867, the Journal shows
that on the contrary they have been
reduced eleven cents per message. The
Journal also charges that Mr.. CREss'
WELL Ia making his comparisons
between European and American tele.
grsphy, counts messages several times
over ia the former and but once in the
latter For Instance, he credits Belgium
with all the messages that simply passed
through the air over that country to and
from the countries on either side Of it. In
this way his aggregates and deductions
become purely fictitious. For example,
while Mr.. CREswELL finds by his calCu-
lstions that the number Of messages that
ought to have been transmitted in Great
Britain and Ireland during the past year
was over eighty.fi7e milliops, It was in
TACT but ten millions. OFCourse, o report
based on such fatal errors Us these is only
calculated to mislead.
The pretence which covers this scheme
lis thatitwould cheaper telegraphy to the
people. We have seen no evidence that
tho telegraph Companies are making ex'
traordinary profits, but we deem it prob
able their profits arc larger than they
need be and that telegraphy is not yet re.
duced TO the lowest paying figures. But
we have no evidence that the remedy is
to be found in purchase and management
by the Government. The price may, and
we presume would be, reduced; but unless
tho actual cost Of carrying on the business
could bs brought below what it is now,
the aggregate cost 10 tho people as
whole could not be much less. The re-
ductlon in the price Of messages would
inure to the benefit Of but small class
relatively to the whole population OF
the country; for tho number OF persons
throughout the United States who never
use the telegraph is greatly in excess of
those who do, and the cost Of purchase
and nj operation would be added TO the