National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-12-19
Postal Telegraph.
Reasons tor Adopting the systcm..WhHS
Congress should DO IN Order 10 Ne-
duce the Rates On Messages aud News.

Reasons tor Adopting the system..WhH
Congress should do In Order ia lie
duoe the Rs's. on Messages and New
, The President Of the Western Unio
=. Telegraph Company, IN letter to
, New York paper, says "The Ucrah
il probably correct in assuming tina
further reduction in rates will not b.
made by the companies now doing tn
telegraph business for some time t,
come" The Western Union Compan,
have adopted some uniformity in thei
changes within n few years past, anC
made few other reductions in theil
rates to the great benefit of the public
and of the company but the public
are under no obligations to the com
pany for making these reductions; foi
President Orton, in hls annual report,
informs his stock holders that they were
forced upon them from the competition
from opposition companies. They have
recently purchased the principal oppo-
sition lines, and have reduced their
rates SO low that the remaining com
panies are unable to make any money.
Now that this great monopoly Is free
from all fear of competition, they an
nounce that they will make no further
concessions in rates.
That the company are able to make
further reductions 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 business
is SO much less, in consequence of its
great 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 expenses in
crease in nearly as rapid n ratio as the
business, and therefore reductions in
rates cannot be made, that he has per-
suaded himself Of its truth, and is
unable to appreciate the force of the
facts which we have given.
Mr.. orion truly says that the tele-
graph is only i'll its infancy, The
growth of its business is much more
rapid than that Of the express or post
Office, and at the same ratio of increase
tn number of kilograms that will be
annually sent ten years hence Is larger
than the number Of letters sent when
the postage was reduced to five cents.
The immediate increase in the cores
pondence that followed upon the use of
the five and three cent postage stamp
was enormous, rapidly increasing from
80. 900, 600 to 300, 900, 900. There will
be the same increase in the Geographic
correspondence if the same relative re-
auctions in rates were made for the
same causes would operate to produce
like effects. The people cannot hope
for such reductions from the Western
Union Telegraph Company, because
there is now no reason TO induce it to |
make them, and because the loss of net |
revenues from the great reductions in
rates necessary to popularize the tele
graph would be greater than the saving
of expenses on each telegram from the
great increase in the business. Such
can be made under the post
al telegraph system, for that will save
nearly one-quarter of the present ex
penses, 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 Con
gress to purchase all existing lines of
teleg raph, and build the new ones re-
luired for the business. The expense
of purchasing these lines has been esti-
mated by committees of Congress at
from $40, 900, 600 to $4,000 900. / do
no, think Congress will feel disposed,
in the present condition of our finances,
TO authorize such an expenditure, es-
oecially as the object sought can be
without any expense to
he government.
The Post-oiiice Department will fur
lish the offices and the Postal Tele-
graph Company will transmit the mes
'aRes at rates fixed by Congress.
If the people desire to have a cheap
and to have the news fur
lished to the press at low rates, they
must support the postal telegraph sys.
tenn, and urge Congress to pass n bill
the Postmaster General to
contract AS he now contracts for the
carriage of the mails. If, on the other (
land, they desire TO perpetuate an over
grown monopoly, which is every day
growing more powerful, then let them
continue the present system by which
ingle private corporation controls the
Geographic correspondence of a nation,
nd has the power to give or withhold :
Jews to the press, and to mold public ,,
pinion in its own interest. Such :
'ower is too great for any private com
ANY to hold, and should be in the
lands of the people, to be used only for
heir benefit. -ChicdgO Inter- ocean.