New-York tribune., 1873-01-18

pIny its inability 10 bx W a"soe ran ted 20
t6e Company that before the signal once coa I'D
use Of hs IeleEsph nd eTpensSs Incurred which
might sxbaust :c appropriations II was tnereloei III n
yssioSs 20 ,or % the 1ayne OF teegaphic service II
was the suggestion or the fre-ioent ~ t"o
that preliminary service OF four months De
not ,aerev Tor asceraipipg the cost Of such servlce
but because first, the Chief slgnsi U,Sa ~, 81
require all the funds his disposal Tor the ~
apats and for other necessary expenses preliminary
10 The transmission o. elegrdphc rey9rts anu - - me
Congress witch would be in session durng three nonns
OF tine term and which IL Was expected "0Iiu ~ 80, ~
such a sum as future negJtiaton" should show was
necessary. IL subsequently appeared tnat VIC of
the appropriation under hIs control. when the eHpe
mental term commenced was available Tor the p"y n0n'
But the expectation OF the Company that ddriag me
perod OF the four months for which IL had stipulated 70
hate NO charge some effort would be made by tie Cmef
sgnaI officer negotiate an Arrangement Ior h iututo
VS. NOT realized Toe Signal ONCE made no application
to the COMPANY for future negotiation on any OASIS
d1rne tHat term THE public spirit which prompted
the perfecty fair and liberal proposition made az tnat
t @ o , nsrt ~ the Company" disappointed al
its recepon by the Signal Once, ana the Eiatih
5icb ~ more Generous recognition has subsequently
a. nor ouite complete because OF the Iact that u
in reply 70 the repeated appoat ppt reDdcTna lie
pany for payment OF claims for service ao
instce OF which has denied although the claims
still remain unpaid 4. 80 ,ha, a., order
II seems at this point to STATE us. "a %
70 relieve the President OF the Company as a AZ pO
BILE from the merely clerical aoor OF pspaz ,her Re
pers necessary for the Inauguration OF the Neatne ~
pors the Chief signal Onieer kindly TOOK that "a v T
upon himself. AS compensation ior the sersSe 20, ~ eT
reendered during the experimental term was no. ek
peced aud the material stipulation was that lnade w
the Company agreeing 70 make no ean Ioi hih ,Sht
cept for any balance OF the apprVPLV ,S ,6e Pres,
remain after all other charges mad been paIl, te
dent did not hesitate 10 sgTltne memor@huui
by The Chef Signal Officer nOtwiths tandng II con
what deemed lmmateral stipuiatiVns, Hnio M i1 ~
well known TO all connected WIN tne Rfai nart
be literally performed. IL II was thS es,en' Pa az
OF the understanding Of the CHIEF signal Oneer IA so D
me President of the Company for execution, after the
use the Company's wires had been rendered. tat .o
fnture negotaon il TO be regretted that the Presl-
dent OF the Company did not thenis ne uoes ~. st
so understand it, the Company dd not Intend 90 supu
late 10 inaugurate a system OF accounts nor was "
expected the evidence winch its records aord anu
ton thereto would be wholly dsregarded IN any snose
quent OF the value oi the service ehdeieu
The experience Of the first two months demonstrated
to the managers OF the Company that the service they
had undertaken for signal Office was so burdensome
and expensive and 50 damaging IN s eleets upoh oer
business that no ordnaty ,bout serons los n oc-
cured To them suggest that p0ssl0y the cOpensa
ton might be increased without cost 10 the United
states Nv an Arrangement which shond give the Com
pany all the telegraph business OF the seVcfai uepa
nents such an arrangement did not then nor does IL
nOw be improper one TO suggest or 20 uaAe
The ordinary business OF the Government al le Idee
then paid afforded profit 10 the Company. The signal
RepOrts would not AFFORD profit at the same rates, De-
cause of the difficult and expensive enaract.l VI
the service. Besides there manifest injustice III
putting an oner0us aud prohtess service upon TINS Com
| pany by department OF the GoVeIhmcnt Hn.lo
another was giving profitable business 10 our cOLP.s
tors The justice and prOprety OF TINS view Vi .he
case was subsequently, recognized fully not only oy ho
Chief Signal Oncer In respect 70 Ihe ouso i vi, V @
Office but by his professional adviser the noh 1llau
Whiting It understood, as part OF Tue arrSngs
nent made I'm Nav 1871 the negotiation OF wnch tae
Chief signal Officer had the able assistance ol 4I'
Whiting that the Signal Reports were to 4e gven grn6 e1
clusively this Company and also that the
business Of all the departments was 70 oe ~ ~
our lines so iar as TINS could DC dohe W ~ End
the officials OF those departments tne cbal "a a ,n
value OF the services which the company haI nen uI
dertlken 10 render for the United States lhs was all
thai was asked to be or could be done In that drec-
tion in the absence OF special authorltg' ,b nan
action OF the Signal 0ee, upon the suggestion OF the
Company that portion OF tue comp IoL lItus
ness OF the other departments, contributed 10 the
difficulties which made necessary the conference ter
TOse difficulties resulted from other causes atoget her,
and those over which Company had no control Inc
Iact that attempt was made TO negota'e WIN TUG
Company during the experimental term for continual
ton of the service beyond that term occasoned sur
ton which reached the Company t0at the nnacnce oi
the Signal Office being e1erted upon Cghsiess 70
appropriations the Weather Reports, when indicated
expectation on the part OF the SSnai oeS hat to
| Company could be compelled TO continue the service
without negotiation and 70 accept suel as
the Signal Oice should advise the PostmastefGeneral
was sufficient. The that this prOviso became law
seemed establish the correctness Of the Information
It thus appears that the rst return received "the
public spirit which prompted the perfectly lair and b
eral proposition made by the Company TO enable the
Weather Reports be naugurated, was not al inquiry
the views OF the Company as TO the cost OF
the service, to the basis 0f negOtatlOn Tor us conh
aton but tue enactment OF law upon &c pGre repre-
sentations, without notice to the Company ana @loa,
opportunity 10 be heard before Congress NAeA seemed
to designed 10 enable the signal Ohce 10 compel the
performance OF the service in future upon such crs az
| il might see fit u impose.
The repeated efforts OF the Company ascertain the
views OF the signal Office 10 service beyond the ex-
perimenta term were unsuccessful lie aIiahSeheht
expired by limitation on the first OF March l. was con-
tnued the request OF the Signal Office until tue eud Of
session Of Congress March when It oeased-sinpy
because no agreement had been made VITA TIE Company
The authority of the Postmaster General 10 TX the tel
egraphie charges for Government mesases uhder the
OF Congress approved July "a, 1906 was Ot denied
The Company did not however, admit the gAt OF that
officer have control Of our wIres 10 direct "neh ahd
sagrs houd be seat toward destination ;nor did
IL admit the right OF any officer OF the government "
under the Government could be required TO open their
offices unusual ncOnyenent hours IN the morning
aud 10 keep them open at night until the permission OF
Government official to close them nad been gwen YET
the OF the Signal ONCE toward TIE Company
Offices and employees, was conferred 9y the Jaw o ON 1on
gress which was understood 70 nave peen %i ~
The Compsny had performed during four months,
new and difficult service without compensation. IL had
been ready during that time, as 1t has been az all times
States for any service desired by Department OF the
Government and for this particular service TO accept
less average rate of compensation than paid for oner
telegraphc business. But justice 10 the stockholders,
and the sefrespeet OF the managers OF the Company
control Of the Companys property and business the
hands Of officials OF the Government should be resisted
promptly and firmly. IL was under such circumstances
and for such alone that the managers OF the
Company reluctantly constrained to discontinue
| the TRANSMISSION Of the Weather Reports.
Subsequently negotiations were opened with the Com
pany Chief Signal Officer, assisted by the Hon.
William whiting These negotiations resulted IN an
agreement between the United states and tue Company
for the TRANSMISSION OF the Weather Reports for
from May "a, 1871.
The Company was represented in this negotiation by
its President and Mr. George g. Prescott It's Electrician
1t was their understanding thai the service OF Com
pany 10 be performed according u certain sched
ule Of circuits, and Ia the words OF numerical cipher,
both Of which then submitted and made the basis
OF the agreement.
The right OF the United States TO require perform
by the Company of the peculiar service desired by
signal Oice rates OF compensation De
the Postmaster Cienera not admitted. The
pensation fixed agreement; and. although