New-York tribune., 1873-01-18
nrr,,e c,r,,. nohnr !, an ayerago rato Of Intorost

rELE0RArn rACitIrtRs IN EuRorE AND THE UNITED
STATES.
As has boon already stated the telegraph service OF
Europe with the exception of the various submarine
limos has from the outset been mainly under the owner
shin and control OF Government On the contrary, IN
the United saos construction and operation OF the
telegraph has left exclusively to private enterprise
ier sneh different circumstances of Development the
Comparative results have been rs follows; In Europe
with population approxlmatlng SOooooQ1o tne see-
sii 900 mites Of wire. and 1890 Offices.
In the United States, with population which may be
line, $1,000 miles of wire, and $500 offices
The ratio OF teegaPhio facilities to the population IN
imately indicated as follows;
Number Ofuhabians to each mile Of liue.... 1908 500
Number Of Inhabitants each .Y...loySl s5Ss
Number OF Inhabitants to each message SCAT.
It wilt thus be that regards the facilities for tel
egraphic communication furnished in Europe aud the
United States the latter are very far in advance Of the
former.
COMPARATIVE RATES CHARGES IN EUROPE AND THE
UNITED STATES.
The average charges for the transmission of messages
in Europe and the United States also constitute I'M
portant element n any comparison that may be insti
tued in respect the relative merits Of the sys
TENS. On this point quote the testimony of George
b. Prescott esq., the best recognized authority tee
graphic statistics in the United states. He says 1.-THE
in any two countries in Europe; nor are they uniform
for all classes of messages in any one country Tele-
general classes called Internal and 'internationaP
messages The internal those which are received,
transmitted and delivered in the same country; the IN
ternaiOna those which received IN one country
and transmitted into another country. As general
sion Of internal messages while high tariff is imposed
on international messages. The teegraphic tolls In
continental Europe 1869 averaged SO SO cents Tor IN
ternal messages and $0l for international messages
which higher charge than is imposed in this
! much more expensive here than in Europe"
1t would as If an exhibit OF such character as
o1,o
public, also regarded by them as embodying so
much of promise for the future as to warrpt at least
for the present general opposition 70 any radical ana
sweeping interference with the existing system. Inat
te paoG, aio % 1 rnbic M ssTvce of the
country has been performed or take put c0mparateB
circumstance that UP the present time not single
memorial petition has been presented 70 Congress
from any Chamber of Commerce, Board Of Trade, Mu-
! nicpal Organization Press Association which sets
forth the necessity prays for the provision OF any
system which complains of and seeks redress Tor
any existing grievances But as nevertheless change
Of certain character has on the one hand been recon-
mended by the President OF the Unitsd States ana some
OF his principal advisers, and as ON the other certain
citizens Of acknowledged ability and enterprise seek
from Congress aid and authority TO inaugrate system
OF entirely different character Is important 10 next
subject analysis the elements O the respective prOp0
sOns, and see how far they are worthy OF popular CON
sideraton and Endorsement. And rst as regards the
Government proposition.
REVIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSITION.
First As the Fifth AmendatOry Article of the Constl
tuition the United States provides that private prop
erty shall not be for public Without just COM
pensaon; and the act Of 1906 IN addition, sDecf-
cay stpulaes that if at any time the United States
shall decide take possession OF the teegaphc system
for military, postal or other purposes, It shall purchase
all lines, property aud effects of existing companies at
fair appraisement it is legitimate to assume that the
people OF the United States will pay ateast fair mar
ket price for whatever they propose to take possession
But how much will that price probably be 49, -,
to this question we have first, the result or
an investigation, submitted TO Select Committee of the
House of Representatives on the Telegraph by Gardiner
q. Hubbard esq, who, as the principal advocate or
! company contemplating similar purchase would not
naturally present exaggerated estimate This gentle
mans figures OF the total primary cost key 10 De IN
Cured by the Government, as consequence OF the
proposed adoption of the telegraph. are as follows
Estimate OF apDrasement OF existing lines, s3O0)OO00
But with areddctiOn of the rate of charges as pro-
posed under the Government sysem-namely, % cents
FOR every 25 wordtis certain that the number OF dis
patches offered for transmission would largely increase
and to meet this increase new tactes IN the shape OF
additional wires would be needed Mr.. Hubbard est-
such extensions requiring 27O0oo miles Of new
of the Western Unon the other hand as he result OF
the experience of that Company says $4,000 miles would
be needed, at cost per mile which Will approach much
closer $50 rather than slOO Then, again. the Dill for
teegraphic absorption by the Government lndorsed by
the POstmaslerGeneral, proposes TO establish tele-
graph station in connection with every pOstoce In he
country the gross receipts OF which or posges are not
than 500 The estimate for such further
extension fixed Mr. Hubbard at s6OOOOO additional
ment the proposed scheme not less than $60OOOO)
1t should, however. be stated that the Postmaster
General his recent report December, 1872 expresses
an opinion, result of his investigations, that new
system of telegraph equal IN extent TO the present
could be constructed by the Government ior total
cost of $50 COO But the utter absurdity OF this official
becomes at apparent, when II Is con
dered that at least an equal sum has Deen expended Dy
the various telegraph aud railway companies Tor simply
much of the existing eegrapc system OF the country
has been constructed since the year 1866 ant tha the
cost OF such labor and material as would be required in
any construction has not since experienced any
Decline but on the contrary In some respects has been
augmented.
Dee 2O 1874 the Committee on Appropriations on the
other hand discussing this subject the following
sary to transmit annually the 3OO0oOOO messages con-
tempaed by the Postmaster would involve the
"A
which has been estimated TO equal at least sI5ooOOO
To meet now the probable large expenditure which
have be authorzed the Government would be again
placed the position OF borrowers the whole necess-
tatng new Issue OF bonds, new syndcates new susp
eOns Of partisan and Federal patronage and cOmmls
Interference with financial interests of the country
winch has already gwen to the Treasury Department
power and influence which the trainers OF the Const
tuition never anticipated intended. And lustrat
ing further how one interference by the Government
with business that not Ultimately pertain it
rally suggest and open the for another It
may be mentioned that 1t has been proposed (unohi
cayl TO establish savings banks all over the%ountry In
connection with the PostOhice and then use the de
pOts to deray the expenses OF teegraphe purchases
small If not Of fraudulent specustion which involves
the dispensing OF new PATRONAGE aud which would uI
IL could otherwise negotiate.
nectOn, the recent experience OF SO practical nation
Great Britain In absorbing by purchase the tele
graphic system OF that country When the project was
frs brought before Parliament, the estimate of cost
founded on the Judgment OF experts, was twenty
Companies the years 1878 predicated in the aggre.
gate e22O00OO or sl 100000; but when the contract
was once made, and the actual results determined IL
was found that the Government had III reality obligated
itself to an expenditure OF s75lS955 or nearly forty
millions Of dollars.
Second: In the bill reported by the Hon. c. c. Wash
burn from the Select Committee of the House 'on the
Telegraph. july 1870. and which, at the time mentioned
and subsequently, received the approval OF the Post
Office Department. the rate for which the Government
proposed undertake the OF messages was
2 cents for each 20 words or figures for all distances
within the territory of the United States The opinion
of Mr.. Orton, Mr. Prescott Mr. Hubbard, and almost
who had made study Of the telegraph
in the United States speciality was, however, to the
effect that the named could not by any possibility
reimburse the PosOce Department for the expense of