Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-10-15
Cheap TelegraDhing.

crease all kinds Of business that relates
to the carrying Of passengers, freight,
4 or LISTERS. Ii the rates are too high,
/ neither cornnor grain can be sept from
] tne extreme West to the seaboard, and
only limited quantity from places less
remote. Not one passenger would 90
4 TO Kansas or California where fen INV
/ go, It the stagecoach were substituted
Tor the railroad, the fare remaining the
same.
The actual cost of trarsnort ot;on do.
cfeases asthe Quantity of merchandise
ana NUMBER OF passengers increase. If
there are two railroads of the same
length, the one carrying double the
! quantity of freight of the other ire eV.
penses will not be fifty ger cent. greater
for many of them bear no relation to
the amount of business-as the general
office expenses, grading, fencing, ties
and culverts. - %
In the mail service especially, by the
greater dispatch afforded by railroads
and the reduced postage, the, mailed
letters have increased within few years
from forty millions to five hundred mil
lions, while the deficit of revenue is no
greater In proportion to the number of
letters transmitted at three cents than
at the former average postage of Is
cents. This principle applies still more
strongly to the telegraph the rates are
SO high that few can afford to use it.
although the gain in time over the mails
is SO great. Abroad, at low rates, it is
generally used. In England its use has
more than doubled within three years
since the telegraph has been connected
with the postoffiee, while here the num-
Der of kilograms has increased less than
one third. The average rate for tele-
grams in England is 25 cents in all
Europe, 81 cents; IN America, 73 cents.
The Postmaster General recommends
the union Of the telegraph With the
posstoffice by the purchase and opera
ton of the lines of telegraph. While
all admit the greater cheapness and
more free use of the Telegram h abroad.
some oppose this plan on the ground
that under a republican form Of gov
eminent the telegraph cannot be man
aged as we'll as under monarchy. If
this be true, and the people are unable
to manage their own affairs, then give us,
a king and aristocracy at once. We do
not participate in these fears, and the
sooner this question is understood and
decided the better. 49,.
Others oppose this plan on account
of the great outlay involved in the pur-
chase and extension of the line; and a
plan has been, proposed by committees
of the Senate and House Of Represent
atives III Congress, to whom the subject
was referred, by which kilograms will
be received as letters nowFare at all
Ispostoffices, and at all telegraph Offices, !
and transmitted between the offices by
parties furnishing and operating the
lines at rates fixed by Congress, not
exceeding one cent word for. teIe-
grams transmitted 500 miles or less. by
day, and ], 900 miles or less by night;
reduction of about 50 per cent. of the
present rates-25 cents for night tel
egram from st. Louis to New York or
New Orleans. This plan relieves the.
postoffice from the necessity Of pur-
chasing and operating lines, while it
utilizes all its existing facilities, and
places the telegraph at once within the
reach of all classes. This system is in
exact analogy with the present postal
service; all correspondence will
be received and delivered through the
postofice, the mailed letter transmitted
by contract with railroad and stage
coach contractors, the telegraph let.
ter by contract with the telegraph
company. The benefits of this plan .
are evident it involves no constitu-
tional questions, and can be easily,
quickly and without cost to the Gener-
al Government carried into practical
operation. ts saoa taiie9 sif g g