Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-12-24
Postal Teleprauh

Postal Telegraph.
The President of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, in letter to a
New York paper, says: "The Herald
is probably correct in assuming that
further reduction of rates will not be
made by the companies now doing the
telegraph business, tor some time to
come" The Western Union Company
have adopted some uniformity in their
charges within few years past, and
made few other reductions in their
rates, to the great benefit of the public
and the company but the public are
un der no obligations to the company for
making these reductions for President
Orion, in his annual report. informs his
stockholders that they were forced up
on them from the competition of oppo.
sition companies. They have recently
purchased the principal opposition
lines, and have reduced their rates sc
low that the remaining companies are
unable to make any money. Now that
this great monopoly is free from all
fear of competition, they announce
thai they Will make no further conces.
s1ons in rates.
That the company are able to make
AUTHORIZATIONS is shown by the facts
given in the annual reports. From
these it appears that the rates have
been reduced nearly one-third in six
years, yet the cost of doing the bust
ness SO much less in consequence of
It's greater increase, that the net profits
are greater at the lower than at the
higher rates. Mr. orion has SO often
reiterated the proposition that the ex-
penses increase in nearly as rapid a
ratio as the business, and therefore re
ductlon in rates cannot be made, that
he has pursuaded himself of It's truth,
and is unable to appreciate the force OF
the facts which we have given.
| M. Orion truly says that the tele
graph is only in it's infancy. The growth
OF it's business is much more rapid than
that of the express or postoffice, and al
the same ratio of increase the number
of kilograms that will be annually sent
ten years hence is larger than the mum
Der Of letters sent when the postage was
reduced to five cents. The immediate
increase in the correspondence that fol.
lowed upon the use of five and three
cent postage stamp was enormous, rap.
idly increasing from $4,000, 900 to 5OO,.
900, 900. There will be the same in
crease in the telegraphic correspondence
if the same relative reductions in
rates are made, for the same
causes would operate to pro.
duce like effects. The people cannot
hope for such reductions from
the Western Union Telegraph Company,
because there is now no reason to in
duce It to make them, and because the
loss of net revenues from the great re
auctions in prices necessary to popu-
larize the telegraph would be greater
than the saving of expenses on each
telegram from the great increase in the
business. Such reductions can be made
under the postal telegraph system, fo1
that will save nearly one-quarter of the
present expenses, and would therefore
authorize reduction in rates of nearly
forty per cent, and yet leave sufficient
profit on the greatly increased business.
The Postmaster General will ask
Congress to purchase all existing lines
of telegraph, and build the new ones
required for the business. The ex.
pense of purchasing these lines has
been estimated by committees of Con
gress at from $40,CO0,0OO to $4,000.
600. It is not likely Congress viii fee
disposed, in the present condition Of
our finances, to authorize such an ex-
penditure, especially as the object
sought can be accomplished without
any expense to the Government.
The Postofice Department will fur.
nish the Offices and the Postal Tele.
graph Company will transmit the mes
sages at rates fixed by Congress.
Ii the people desire to have cheap
telegraph, and to have the news. fur
nished to the press at low rates, they
must support the postal telegraph VS.
tenn, and urge Congress co pass the bill
authorizing the Postmaster General to
contract as he now contracts for the
carriage of the mails IT, on the other
hand, they desire to perpetuate an over
grown monopoly, which is every day
growing more powerful, then let them
continue the present system, by which a
single private corporation controls the
telegraphic correspondence of nation,
and has the power to give or withhold
news to the press, and to mould public
opinion in it's own interest. Such a
power is too great for any private COM
pany to hold, and should be in the
hands Of the people, to be used only
for their benefit.