New-York tribune., 1873-01-18

Ne rem % Congress
Washburn, the Chairman Of selecs C0ufnittee OF no
House the telegraph and which with one ~
70 be hereafter noted understood 10 represent VIZ
present proposed scheme Of Government absorption Oh
the telegraph. provides essentially as ioho"ns ..
of Transmitting telegraph messages the United states
shall vest exclusively in the Government anu tts e
person or company VINO shall transmit or reoetes any
telegraphic message device or information, except as
authorized and permitted by the PcstDasteIDo1..t'
ceeding one hundred dollars
second That the United states shall purchase by sp.
prsisenent the telegraph lines, property and enects oi
all existing Companies.
Third: The tariff on all messages shall be fixed At
uniform rate irrespective Of distance OF twenty-five
each twenty-five words including dae address
and signature and OF Que cent for each additional word
the To be prepaid by stamps affixed to each mes
sage By the sender.
other sections OF the bill provide for the creation Of
Telegraphc Bureau IN the P0st-Ohiee Department. tho
appointment of "Direcor General at salary o. 5000
pr annum ana such assistants and clerks as may
be found necessary; the extension OF tie HeUaph 10
every postoce IA the United states the annual sross
receipts OF which for postage not less than one nun
dred dollars the authorization OF speclal service LOT ho
newspaper press the neeotaSa oI S
messages and, finally, with ayiew OF securing ior inc
Government the ald OF eclens ana 81 neeeen' by
that removals shall be made from Offices ereseu D
the Act except for satisfactory aud sufficient cse anu
that az promotions shall be regular from the HSoes
next subordinate
THE SECOND OR HUBBARD" PROPOSITION.
The proposition in respect to the future OF tho
telegraph In the United States which has been brought
before Congress and the country best known as he
Hubbard" proposition, from the Circumstance OF It's
OrlglDauon ana special advocacy Dy W.
bard esq., of Boston, and has its most recent em6odi-
ment in a bin reported Congress by the House Com
mttee on Appropriations, December 1872, entitled, "A
Bin 10 connect he Telegraph Nth The Postal Seree, and
Reduce Ms Rqte. Of Corsspondenes ey IstegrGpn ~
n ~ s 70 pe NJ so m which
the telegraph is TO be managed exclusively by the Post
i3eofporston Of private COMPANY which in Consider
alton OF certain special and extraordinary privileges 70
be granted by the Government TO contract with
the PostOfice Department for the transaction OF the
telegraph business or the country at certain speenc
istne In other respects the features OF this
second proposition Gas reported to Congress prior 10 the
FIRST The PostmasterGenera is required to contract
with the company anInOrSSo " yI s1 mt ~. renfion or
delivery OF telegraphlc messages az rae Mhc sa,
and fifty miles, fifty cents for circuit OF nye hun9re
miles, and twenty-five cents for every added circuit OF
five hundred miles for each twenty words or ngures
including date address and signature the rates, IN all
cases, TO be prepaid by stamps Inc right 70 ehTge
extra for messages the seDders of which are Wng
TO paw for priority Of transmission" or, in plain
English, the right 20 put one message ahead OF ahotner
for consideration, Is also expressly stipulated anu pro-
Second: The Postal Telegraph Company shall provide
graph stations maintained, and to all other
places which may have population OF three thousand
the other hand obligated TO furnish suitable and
convenient accommodations at eacn postal station TOT
all officers and instrumentaliues required by the COM
paDy for the transaction OF its business alng, Dy
specification legitimate inference fuel lights, clerical
the expense responsibity and business OF receiving
messafes and also OF deiyerng by messengers or mall
ali such by the wires may nave been transmitted
Third: The compensation TO DC pald 10 the company
by the Government shall exceed 10 per cent per an
nun on its authorized capital over and above all
operating expenses and In case the reeepts Tor rue
transmission OF messages in OF the require
ments for such payments the transmission
of messages shall be reduced proportionaIly Aud ia
any state territory the PostmasterGenerai may IN
the rates on each telegram between he oces IN
such state Territory until the increased amount
equals such tax OF license. - -, -
power 10 make special contracts wltn railway com
pauies relative 10 railway service. and with the press or
the transmission Of news the rates lor wmch later
class of dispatches shall exceed those paid by exist
ing press associations for similar service. -,
Ffh. The capital stock OF the Postal telegraph Com
many shall at its organization consist OF 10000 SHARES,
of the par value Of slO0 eaeh-toal $OO0oo-to repre-
lines with postal telegraph oiees and, in addition,
the Company may from llne TO time lsshe new soSA 70
represent the actual cost OF lines that may be purchased
syfh: The may at any time after
the expiration ve years. purchase the property and
franchise of the Company either by agreement or ap
cost together with interest thereon per
cent per annum, deductng hererom the fun amount OF
any moneys paid 10 the stockholders for or on aee0untof
dividends, interest, or earnings"
REASONS WHY A CHANGE IN THE EXISTING SYSTEM Is
ADVOCATED.
Having thus given the essential features expressed
in the form of bills reported Congress- Of the two
propositions which look entire change in the exist
ing teegraphlc system Of the country, the question
which next naturally suggests itself is, Why Is any
change TO be regarded as expedientf
On the part OF those who advocate the exclusive pos
session and operation OF the telegraph by the Govern
ment it is said in general that the post-oee and ele
graph have but one and object and that It's for
the interest OF the people that their management should
Inc I'm one and the same hands" Toe example OF
Europe is also appealed 10 support of this theory.
m every of which, with the exception OF Great
Britain the telegraph has almost from the outset been
Government monopoly, and IN Great Britain Itself has
also recently become through the sanction OF Para
ment, and the compulsory sale TO the Government OF
property and franchises OF all privately organlzed
and preexng eompanss W.ner 1S reasons, aeS
semOfcaly put forth by the Government through lts
adyocates' are: That the press demands reduction
OF tariff for its news reports and relief from the com
bined monopoly Of the telegraph ana associated
the entire control Of the wires for the proper transr
sion OF the weather reports and other public business
aud finally, "that the interests OF the people demaod
the extension OF facilities, mpartality IN the transmits
sion OF dispatches, and the reduction Of tariffs to the
ON the other hand the and substance Of the
Ru5 % SFa M 10 sSPPS aSd Sd s se soea be
Protesting in the first instance against exclusive
possession and control OF the telegraph by the Govern
ment as a wholly opposed 70 our nsttutions,
but IN ey take the
position that partial ownership and interference by
beneficial Processing further deep interest in the
public welfare, and profoundly impressed with the ne
that people should enjoy greater and cheaper
telegraphc facilities than they now do Mr Hubbard and
ms ,nruh We union and nsrtne1sbin OF
the Post-Ofce Department on the one hand and the
Postal Ielegtapu SOUpduy Oh olucIt Fcofuluk W
the and conditions specified in the abstract OF
the bill before noticed.
Such then, briei the put forth 10 the
public in support OF the general theory that change in
the existing elegraphc system Of the country IL lmme
diatey expedient The test and analysis OF the validity
OF next in the order OF this invest
CATION bit before doing seems desirable TO present
statement OF the manner In which the tee graphic
service OF the United States has been and is now
cuted.
THE TELEGRA II IN THE UNITED STATES PAST AND
PRESENT.
curious to note that at the inception OF the tele
graph, the whole subject regarded by Congress