New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-12-27

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The second was . bill in favor Of the scheme which
has been advocated tor several years by Mr. Hubbard
the details which sunneoessaTy to state IN this con
The third provided for tho construction Of line be.
tween Boston, Washington, and Intermediate cities by
the parties named therein under the direction OF the
Postmaster General This bill was similar IN principle.
10 incorporate the National telegraph Company herein
before referred to.
sessions at which parties who favored their
sage and those opposed thereto, were afforded ample
alton they decided unanimously to report against
their passage The opinions Of the Committee, az set
son) appear to have been accepted by the House to
which 1t was presented. since no further action was
taken on that subject during the session.
The following extracts from the report especially
applicable TO the present case. Referring to the law Of
there not in view Of the relations thu, voluntarily established
solemn between the Government and these corporations which
their property before the rgh, take valuation
and SopnS & by h. on sny o aen ha" that
e with whom i should do nothing 70 yS s.s
Is not within the knosdse of the Committee precedent
exercising b. legislative authority and to the
injury Of private property without providing jus. measure OIL CON
Two system, Of g,ph'Ons public and prv.ie-c.SHc'
Tie functions necessarily exclusive and when
ever formally undertakes service . proper 70 be exercised y ~
. plyas PA'"'' m''' Dc s'''u''' '''A VIC
Washburn OF Wisconsin introduced bill IN the House
which provided for the purchase OF all the telegraph
tally as provided by the act Of 1866. This bill
ferred to Select Committee, OF which its author was
made Chairman and the bill known as the HUBBARD
bill, which had been presented again at that session.
referred TO tho same Committee. This Committee:
which composed OF some OF the abest members OF
the House. much time TO the consideration OF the
subject and to hearing parties who appeared both Tor
and against the bills. And although they permitted
report by Chairman In favor OF the bill introduced
by him, and another in favor OF the bill OF Mr. Hubbard,
presented to the House. so as to enable them 70 Do
printed together with the proceedings before the Com
mittee both reports were recOmmted, ana no further
action thereon was taken either Oy The committee OF ny
At the same session the Hubbard bill introduced
the Senate and referred TO the standing Committee
on Post-Ohices and Post Roads That Committee. al
though they had given the opponents OF the bill hut one
about fifteen minutes subsequently, reported It favor
aoy 70 the Senate After brief there It's
The preceding statements contain ali that is material
concerning the action Of Congress in respect to the tee
graph and 10 proposals connecting IL with the postal
service. from the appropriation OF soV 10 enable the
FIRST experiment TO be made down TO the last session.
December 1872 much of the annual report OF the
POstmasterGenera for the fiscal year ending June 80
Is72 as related to the telegraph referred by the
House to the standing Committee on Appropriations
In that report the subject was discussed at consldeTa
S ps sconpanes The recon-
mended that the lines of some or all OF the companies
should be purchased under tho provisions of of
July a. 1866 and placed under control OF the P0sOice
concerning the project for the incorporation of the
Postal Telegraph Company, known the Hubbard
scheme. the Postmaster-G General saws:
decidedly opinion hstf the people interested require postal
telegraph it should entirely hands the IT,
the contrary postal telegraph is not 50 oeman then we uo,ern
should wise into competition With sie enterprise
The Committee on Appropriations held special even
ing session for the consideration OF the recommends
lions made ia this report which was attended by repre-
The Country and also by the POSTMASTER General and
other Government officials The statements contained
mendations fully considered IL is not unfair say
the facts and arguments submitted 10 the representa-
tvcs OF the telegraph companies completely refued the
most important statements made by the Postmaster
General and on which his conclusions and recommends.
lions based 1t is not surprising therefore, that
no further action on subject either by the Commit
tee or by the House, was taken at that session.
REPORT OF THE PosTMAsTBR-GEsERAL FOR 1873
propose now to consider the report OF the Postmas
terGeneral for the last fiscal year. This document
differs several particulars from every other official
paper subject Although 10 the discussion upon
appropriation the proposal to establish the tee
graph, as Of communication between distant
stations, was spoken OF by some IN terms or derslOn,
and although ii was deemed for many yearsif not
worthy of Congressional noticeas having small claim
TO Congressional favor 1t has not been publicly assaied
in an official document by any other prominent officer Of
the Governments nor has it's property deprecated,
its policy and MANAGEMENT dSparaged or Its officers In
vidiously mentioned by name.
The Postmaster General has by law Jurisdiction
the telegraph except TO fix tho rates annually for
Government messages The present incumbent OF that
Office has been requested by Congress to give them
any information opinions on the subject; yet III view
of fact that the Government has secured the right
to purchase all the telegraph lines in the country no
objection be made TO the discussion by him OF the
question of connecting the telegraph with The postal
service submit, however that in any such discussion
concerning private property and persons the former Is
entitled to be treated with common justice anu the lat
The report OF the General. now before me.
in the portion which treats telegraph begins with
reference To certain statements made IN his report OF
the preceding year. These statements contained estl-
mates of the original cost, and also the cost Of dup
eating all the telegraph liEes and apparatus in use In
the United states The present report then proceeds
however to FIJI
and Approximate the lster Notwithstanding the e.
forts which have been made to inyshdate them"
THE PosTMAsTERG GENERAL ESTIMATES THE VALUE OF ALL
THE TELEGRAPH PROPERTY IN THE COUNTRY AT
s11.8SO,OOO
The estimates referred In this extract and concern
ing the soundness OF which full confidence" is now ex-
pressed these FIRST that the entire cost of all the
lines IN the country, including patents, was much less
than Sl00OC0 and second, that the cost OF new sys
em equal in extent to the present would be 81 $4,000
There are no data accessible which show, even ap
proXimaIely what has been expended in the extension
OF teegra lines during the last thirty years but at
the time these statements made the property of
telegraph companies worth. the srke not less
than $5OOOO0O The only witness whose estimate was
fi'st the existing lines could be duplicated for
about ss250O0 provided the wire could be imported
COMPANIES to pay duty either directly the Treasury
on what they have imported indirectly on what they
have purchased at nome IL Will hardly he deemed rea-
sonabe TO leave this item out OF the account Adding
the estimate Of the witness the total would be over
S2o,0oOOOO.
1t appears then, that the solitary witness called by
the to testify to the cost OF dup
cal ing the present system named an amount 100 per
cent gre than stated in tho report The witness
had never constructed but telegraph line and that
was for the use Of the fire department OF large CITY,
For that line of 50 miles OF poles and 65 mos OF wire he
charged aud was paid s85O0o0. Comparing this charge
with his estimate made for the PostmasterGeneral, IN
proportion to the number Of miles OF wire used the tel
eraph lines in the United States would cost more than
s2O00Oo But on the basis OF the number OF miles OF
poles, the cost would be nearly $500, oO0O00.
OFFICIAL DEPRECIATION or PROPERTY WHICH THE GOV
ERSMESr HAS INDUCED THE OWNERS TO AGREE TO
SELL.
In the face of these facts. clearly established before
the Committee Appropriations only year ago, the
General, who is not presumed to have any
practical knowledge OF tue subject. now expresses full
confidence In the OF estimates which
then, and have not been since sustained by par