New-York tribune., 1875-01-15
GOVERNMENT CONTROL or TELEGRAPHS

THE PROPOSED BILL FIXING THE RATES or TEIE-
GRAPH NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IN FAVOR
OF GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND NLwsPArERs-
PENALTIES AGAINST RECALCiTBANr COMPANIES
Congressman Alexander White OF Alabama
introduced 10 the House OF Representatives on Monday
BILL as ho declares in It's title, Tor cheapening ele
graphic communication. facilitating reports for all
press associations and preventing elegraphc and
monopoli"s."
The following are the several sections OF this bill:
BE enaeted by me Senate and of Representaves
Of he United @les Of America u Congress dssemo'ea
That the charges for the transmission vi teegIan ek
ceptDg Government teegrams by any anu all Telegraph
companies operating within the United STATES sha pe
at the following rates for elegrams OF twenty words r
less: When the distance OF transmission II under zoo
miles 80 cents; when over 200 and undr 800 niles W
cents; when 500 and under 75o miles 30 oehts wen
over 760 and under 1oCo miles, 81 for al srealet u
tances, 81 25; for kilograms directed 10 be transbtte
tances. 90 All words shall be counted and for
every five additional words less. one NTH addltoha
OF immediate and special delivery within half mile OF
the telegraph Office. All kilograms between the several
agents and employees and all such kilograms althOr,
zed required By any officer empOye OF the Uhted
States, In execution OF any duty deyoved on him Dy w'
shall, when required by him. have priority IN transmits
sion without prepayment. aud at rates to 0e annuB
fixed by the Postmaster General. All other kilograms
shall be transmitted the order in which they are re-
ceved excepting kilograms directed by the 10
be transmitted at night, namely between the hOurs OF
O'clock IN the afternoon and o'clock in the forenoon
SEC. That the charges for the transmission OF sp
cla eicgams TO and commercial news asso-
Citations each words ess for each circuit OF $50
miles shall not exceed IS cents IL sent at night ana FL
during the day. but when copies Of the same telegram
dropped of at one or more offices, the
rate for each office shall not exceed 80 cents at
night, and rs cents during the day, and at the same
pro rata rate for each word In excess. Where special
teegrams delivered at the same office for TWO or
more newspapers IL cents additional shall be charged
for each 100 words less for manif0ldlng f0r each
newspaper receiving the same. The charges Tor ele
for press associations or special kilograms sha
not exceed those now paid by tue Associated or Amer
eau Press for like service.
SEC. That 1t shall he the duty OF every telegraph
company within the United States to receive ana
promptly rahsnt in the order OF reception aud with
OUT discrimination, except herein provided all tele
grams duly rendered for transmission at the rates IN
this act established and violation OF this act Dy
any officer empOye OF any such telegraph company,
eItler by refusing neglecting to promptly transmit
messages in the order OF their reception or by exer-
cisng any discrimination to messages or by charging
demanding greater rate for the transmission OF
tee grams taan herein provided, shall be punished as
for a misdemeanor in the United states courts OF tue
district where the Ofense may have been committed
and shall DO fined in sum not exceeding $4,000 or Dy
imprisonment not exceeding year, and sucD person
and also such company shall be liable for damages 10
the party Injured
SEC That wherever the lines OF competing telegraph
companies, which have accepted or which may mere :
after accept tie restrictions aud Obligations required
by the act OF July a. 1906 relative 10 telegraph lines
extend the territory and Afford equal faclll
ties for the transmission OF messages. all Government
message shall, far praccaOle be equally divided
between SAID competing companies