The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-01-30
TelegraphY.

The annual report of the Western
Union telegraph company for the year
ending June 80, 1873, which was pub
lished during the early part of the late
panic, attracted less attention than it
would have otherwise received, less than
| it's Importance demanded. Although
this company is a private corporation,
managed and controlled by few large
stockholders solely as a money-making
affair, yet there are few matters entrus-
| ted to the general government of greater
| general interest. There is necessarily
entrusted to it the most important cor
respondenca, both mercantile and f.
nancial. A large banking business is
transacted by its bureau for the trans
! fer of money.
Prices in all the principal marts of
the country for all articles of merchan-
disc are regulated by the daily reports
from its commercial bureau. In con-
nection with the associated press, it col
lects, collates, and furnishes to the
daily papers all over the country their
telegraphic dispatches, the most impor-
tant news they publish, the first and
often the only part of the paper read.
1t has become the educator of the
people, and its influence is daily extend
| ing, until it has become essential to the
success of many departments of bust
ness. It has over $50, 900 miles of wire
stretching along every railway and
reaching every important place. Its
annual receipts are nearly so, ,O0O, 900,
a larger amount than the postoffice de-
partment received ten years ago. A
corporation welding such immense
power is not a private company but
one in which every citizen has direct
and personal interest.
The average rate of messages has
been reduced in six years from 81. 10 to
81 cents, and the business has been
doubled. This great reduction in rates
has been followed by slight increase
in the net income of the company. The
average rate is still much higher than
in any other country, and so high as to
prevent the use of the telegraph by any
except the rich and those compelled to
use it. The report says that heretofore
the competition frcm rival lines has
been the most potent cause in operation
for compelling the company to reduce
its rates but that it is now relieved
from all fear from this service, as it has
recently purchased nearly all the oppo-
sitiOn lines, and at the present rates
cit is impossible for any competing
company to realize profits, and all are
believed to be operating at loss, and
the time is not distant, therefore, when
the company will be without a substan-
tial competitor"
From this frank and public statement
it appears that a change will now be
made in it's policy, and that the public
cannot expect further reduction in
rates.
Abroad the telegraph is connected
with the postoffice, and the people use
it freely as they do the mails. We do
not believe, however, that ur govern
ment should interfere Id private mat
ters, nor that the power of the execu-
tive should be enlarged; but the duty
of transmitting correspondence was de-
volved upon congress by the founders
Cf our republic, and, a it has wisely
undertaken this business, and per-
formed it to the satisfaction of the
people, there is every reason why it
should now adopt this, the latest, i'm
provement for its rapid transmission.
It is often said that corporations can
perform any business cheaper than the
government. Admitting the general
truth of this proposition, it yet does
not apply to the telegraph, for the
agencies now employed by the post
office department for receiving g and de-
livering letters would be used for the
telegraphic letter. The present clerks
could perform all the Office business,
thus greatly reducing the expenses, if
the acknowledgement was authorized
to contract for the transmission of tele-
grams, as he now contracts for the
transmission of the mails, at rates fixed
by congress.
A bill for the purpose of connecting
the telegraph with the postoffice depart
ment authorizing the postmaster-gen
eral to contract for the transmission of
kilograms, was reported by committees
of the senate and house of representa-
tives at the last congress. This propo-
sition, we presume, will come up for