Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-01-08
Postal Telegraph.

The President of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, in his letter to
New York paper, says: "The Herald
is probably correct in assuming that
further reduction in rates will not be
made by the companies now doing the
telegraph business for some time to
come" The Western Union Telegraph
Company have adopted some uniformi-
ty in their charges within few years
past, and made few other eductions
in, their rates, to the great benefit of the
public and of the company but the
public are under no obligations to the
company for making these reductions
for President Orton, in his annual re-
port. informs his stockholders that they
were forced upon them from the COM
petition from opposition companies.
The have recently purchased the prin:.
cipal opposition lines, and have reduced
their rates so low that the remaining
companies are unable to make any
money. Now that this great monopoly
is free from all fear of competition, they
announce that they will make no further
concessions in rates.
That the company are able to make
further reductions is shown by the
facts given in the annual reports. From
these it appears that the rates have
been reduced nearly one-third in six
wears. vet the cost of doing the business
is so much less, in consequence of its
great increase, that the net profits are
greater at the lower than at the higher
rates. Mr.. Orton has so often reiterated
the proposition that the expenses in
crease in nearly as rapid ratio as the
business, and therefore reductions in
rates cannot be made, that he has
persuaded himself of its truth, and is
unable to appreciate the force of the
facts which we have given.
Mr.. Orton truly says that the tele-
graph is only in its infancy. The growth
Of its business is much more rapid than
that of the express or post-office, and at
the same ratio of increase the number
of kilograms that will be annually sent
ten years hence is larger than the num-
Der of letters sent when the postage was
reduced to five cents. The immediate
increase in the correspondence that fol-.
lowed upon the use of the five and three
cent postage stamp was enormous, rap
idly increasing from $4,000, 900 to 500,-
100000. There will be the same increase
in the telegraphic correspondence if the
same relative reductions in rates were
| .~.oJo - Gov tba emma oouo ao ppu1I nparof fa
to produce like effects. The people
cannot hope for such reductions from
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, because there is now no reason to
induce it to make them, and because
the loss of net revenues from the great
reductions in rates necessary to popu-
larize the telegraph would be greater
than the saving of expenses ON each
telegram from the great increase in the
business. Such reductions can be made
under the postal telegraph system, for
that will save nearly one-quarter of the
present expenses, and would therefore
authorize a reduction in rates of nearly
forty per cent, and yet leave a suffi-
cient profit Oh the greatly increased
business.
The Postmaster-General will ask Con.
gress to purchase all existing lines OF
telegraph, and built the new ones re-
quired for the business. The expense
of purchasing these lines has been es.
timated by committees of Congress at
from $40, 900, 900 to $40, 900, 900. I do
not think Congress will feel disposed,
in the present condition of our finances,
to authorize such expenditure, especially
as the object sought can be accom-
plished without an expense to the gov
ernment.
The Post. office Department will fur
nish the offices and the Postal Tele-
graph Company will transmit the mes
sages at rates fixed by Congress.
If the people desire to have a cheap
telegraph, and to have the news fur.
nished to the press at low rates, they
must support the postal telegraph sys.
tenn, and urge Congress to pass a bill
authorizing the Postmaster General to
contract as lie now contracts for the
carriage of the mails. If, on the other
hand, they desire to perpetuate an
overgrown monopoly, which is every
day growing more powerful, then let
them continue the present system by
which single private corporation con.
tros the telegraphic correspondence Of
nation, and has the power to give OF
withhold news to the press, and to mold
public opinion in its own interest.
Such power is too great for any pri.
vate company to hold, and should be-
the hands of the people, to be used only
for their benefit. Chicago Inter- ocean.