New-York tribune., 1873-01-18

States telegraphing In tho United states is decided,
say than the average but say IA any country 10 ~ m
rope II you win consider the DIFF renre simply III tne
cost OF materials YOU viii fad tha tolegraphng i
cheaper IN the United statos thSn In any country n E
. | rope. -. =,
But that is not ali. days work by the employes o.
the Government Is limited by law - eight hours Whhe
least TO- and in many cases IL houri assume It viii
not be claimed that the persons In the employ f
time than IN the service OF private parties or @ JILL
rates OF wages than are now paid II follows therefore,
that, on the basis OF eight hours as dEys wOrk un
present annual expenditure to operate the teegraph
would yield product twenty per cent less than tle
present or that to maintain the present psSuuct WOuu
five per gregter than the present surely the Gov
ernnent would not discriminate against operatives ana
and require them 10 work from two 20 hours
day than Is required OF Government clerks meehan
In the report OF the Postmaster reference is
made to the Government telegraph OF Great Britain aud
question of uniform rate. New, Sir. admit. tbat
were practicable to remove the 100000 OF people - the
| Of New-Engand aud NewYork, it would be entirely
practicable TO establish uniform rate But see how un
lust it IS 10 compare THIS country with Great Butainor
France, each having population aproxmatng TO our
gland while population Is spread over an arer equal
almost to the continent OF Europe; Ten 70 10 mites Of
telegraph must be constructed ana Kept IN repair III ths
Unted states to reach the same number Of persons as IN
Great Britain or France are reached by one moi ana
when you consider that t costs on an ay ss per mile
Of wire per annnm TO keep construced hnes III repr
"A difference
countries Of denser population Permit nre 20 remark
further, In connection with the English tefgrph "hch
! is represented To be a success tant believe 1t 20
| DO far a. its administration Is con
cernedl that | think very erroneous Vows are
entertained concerning the result OK is operations
| financially Whatever u may become hetehtef, Ile
British telegraph has cost the British Goyernment re
money every month since 10 has been Ia operation under
the Government than It mas received III from
such operations Now am aware that an exhibit mas
hbt carefully, and find that the apparent profit result
ing from the operation OF the British telegraph Is OBJ
ye,arc
There ia evidence yet 10 satisfy me that thc Brsh
telegraph seltsustllung to-day. And yet ought 10
be selEsuslinng, aud nave doubt that it Will ulti-
mately become self-sustaining Very much hts been
sad concerning the enormous increase in the volume OF
business since the English Government took the tec-
graph and established uniform rate. Let me make
statement In that connection. There are no more mes
sages sent Great Britain to-day, m proportion TO the
Of miles OF wire ana the number OF stations hnd
of employees than there were before the Government
took the lines private hands and established uu
form rate. This IS very important iact Decae hero
| the development Of the telegraph business.
The Chairman-Is that tho statistical rule on which
Telegraph Companies consider growth % be gingedt
| Mr Ofton-I am now about 10 state whlt consider
to be rule 1t i that the increase In the volume OF
telegraph business Is more directly propor0ned 70 thc
increase OF facilities than IL Is 10 any question 0f rates
whatever; aud would make. without the slightest hes
that it, say between four cities the experiment should
be tried, in the case, OF reducing the rate oneha
and in the other case OF doubling the facilities without
any reduction OF the rates the double volume OF business
will quicker on the doubled facilities than on 'ne
reduced rates. Now, that Is my opnlDn anu "ouu Do
glad hear the views Of the other genement present.
/ with whom have not conferred.
| Mr. Thurson-I fully confirm the opinion OF the Pres
| ident Of the Western Union Telegraph Company, we
have found II 80 on our lines Ana, To-Day We np, & as
the result OF our business, that, win what mas Deen
called increased rates. those that existed up 10 the
| lst OF May the want of facilities alone prevents our
business Increasing; and we are now increasing our
| facilities In order 10 increase our business. -, . A.,
Dir. Sweet-Mr. OrtOn asked me that question tOuay
on the train aud have been turning the thing over IN
nv mind | believe his statement 10 be substantially
| correct, so far as my experience goes.
the for greater facilities rather than Tor cheaper
| Mr. sweet-For greater and more rapid facilities. The
experience night rates viii demonstrate mat Inc
ron of farilites and of the rapidy which messages
are transmitted aud delivered that the increase OF Dus
| The Postmaster. General TO Mr. Thurston) You say
that your business increases II you increase IaGs5'
suppose your prices lowered. would not the Dusi-
| ness be increased by that - ,,..
brings it down very small point IL 49, hat no man
sends telegraph message for the mere pleasure OF tee
graphing lie merely sends t in order 10 gain time, OF
to make the profit which he expects 70 gam Dy econo'
| mizng time by forestalng the market, or something
else and the question him not much the cost
OF message a. the speed with wncn IL - h oT,
and II you make the price OF messages as low
as YOU possibly can, the public VIII not De accommO-
dated and the business Will not increase put yOu pnt
nm more wires and the facilities for telegraph
| ing, you increase the business. , =,
The Genera-Ihat increase OK business Is
Mr. Thurston-Yes. BY increasing the facilities, and
| keeping the rates at the same price MI, A., -,
The ePostmaster-Genera-Ine ~ Is unlike tne pos'a
Mr Thurston--Take large city like Pittsburgh where
reside which manufacturing city, and take fac-
tory there employing 400 people, ana you VIII nnu ta
il only out OF the 400 that ever uses the telegraph
the other 800 send message IN year; Dut the
one sends 100 messages IN day. and we must use
him as a merchant would use customers we must give
him the facilities that he wants. The question with hlm
is price, but one as TO how the service Is per-
Tne Posmas General-That would be the question
with great more people IL they had anu
II telegraph was cheap enough " DC witnin thei
The Chairman-Mr. Brown what is your opinion upon
Mr. Brown-My impression is that the experience in
some parts OF the country has been that reducing te
ptes mas very vastly increased the business, IN the
West Tor instance learned from Mr. Orton that put
walkee increased the business very vastly but my inn
preston been that when man pays % or 50 cents
i've cents more or less for a telegraph message.
Mr. Palmer TO Mr.. OrtOn)-lt cheapenlng rates does
not the volume OF business why DO eneapeh
Mr.. orton-Have been understood as saying that
cheapeng the rates did not Increase the volume OI
Mr. PaImer-I thought that the tendency Of your argu
nent was 10 show that 1t was the increase OIL facilities
rather than the reduction OF prices that Drought an III
OF business
the business but believe that the development OF the
telegraph depends more upon the provision OF increased
faculties than the reduction OF rates-assuinlny OF
course, that the rates are not exorDltaht anu
tory but taking the average rates e e s sn9yor this The
tariff between NewYork and Cincinnati SIX years ago
Trated by the Company of which Mr.. Thurston is the
President the rates reduced to u oO ~ % s ah
finally to 90 cents Al that rate the lines were operated
for two years intermediate places were re-
duced correspondingy the rate between NewI YORK ana
Pittsburgh being 25 cents. On the lst OF May last, D
previous agreement, the rate between New-fork anu
Cnennat was advanced from 90 cents 70 VI, ana De-
tween New.YOrk aud Pittsburgh from % to % cents
Within the year preceding the western Union iseHIaPn
Company had very considerably Increased lts faculties
6etween Newly Pittsburgh and Cincinnati The III
crease the volume OF business between inc staos o
that route during the months OF May June ana July OF
tine present year after advance OF from Az 10 O per
cent was greater than the increase in the corresponding
| mouths In the previous years. -, =.
The Chairlnan-Hld there been an III tuo