Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-02-05

departments of business. 1t has over
10000 miles of wire stretching alon,
every railway and reaching every impor-
tant place. Its annual receipts are nearly
$4,000, 900, a larger amount than the Post
Office Department received ten years ago
A corporation yielding such immense
power is not 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 6f
cents and the business has been dou bled.
This great reduction in rates has been
followed by slight increase in the ne,
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 70 use il
The report says that heretofore the com
petition from rival lines has been the
most potent cause in operation for com
pelling the company to reduce its rates:
but that it is now relieved from all fear
from this service, as it has recently pur-
chased nearly all the opposition lines,
and at the present rates " II Is impossi-
BILE for any competing company to real
ize profits, and all are believed Ia be
operating at a loss, and the time is not
distant, therefore, when the company
will be without a substantial compel
itoro
From this frank and public statement it
appears that change will now be made
in its policy, and that the public cannot
expect further reduction in rates.
Abroad the telegraph IS connected with
the post-otlice, and the people use 1t freely
as they do the mails We do not believe,
however, that our Government should in.
tertere III private matters, nor THAI
the power of the Executive should
be enlarged but the duty of transmit
ting correspondence was devoved upon
Congress by the founders of our Republic,
| and, as it has wisely undertaken
this business, and performed it to the
| satisfaction of the people, there Is every
reason why it should now adopt this the
! latest, Improvement for It's rapid
transmission Ii is often said that cOrpo
rations can perform any business cheaper
| than the Government. Admitting the
general truth of tins proposition, it YET
does not apply to the telegraph,
| for the agencies now employed by the
| Post-otlice Department for receiving and
delivering letters would be used for the TEL
egraphic letter. The present clerks could
perform all the Office business, thus great
| ly reducing the expenses, ii the postmaS-
| ter-General was authorized 20 contract
! for the transmission of kilograms, 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 Postoiiice Depart
ment authorizing the Postmaster General
| to contract for the transmission of tele-
| grams, was reported by committees OF the
| Senate and House of Representatives at
the last Congress- This proposition, We
presume, will come up for action
| the ensuing winter and we trust
will become law. The rates fixed by
the bill are nearly so per cent. below
present charges, while the length Of The
telegram is 50 per cent. greater. Night
| kilograms will be transmitted at a still
greater reduction.
The charge of n telegraphic letter Of
% words sent by night 1900 miles or
| less will be only % cents. Such low
rates will make the telegraph a public
blessing, bring it within the reach OF all,
| and enable the press to establish new
! and independent news associations. We
shall refer again to this subject.-14e In
dependent