New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-06
TIE TELEGRAPH POLES IN TIE STREETS.

ACTING-PREsIDEYr CORNELL Defends THE COURSE
OF THE WESTERN UNION CONTAINING IMPROPER
INFLUENCES BROUGHT TO BEAR uroN THE LEGis-
LArIvR COMMITTEE.
TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIE; The following quotation from the editorial
column of this mornings TRIBUNE contains an I'M
Justtiabe reelection upon the majority of the Assem-
bly, Committee on Affairs of Cities, as well as upon
the officers of those telegraph companies who. in
open hearing presented their objections to the bill to
which you refer
Mcssrs. Hess, George Tavlor. McGrosrty and Worth
have evidently heard OF something to their advantage
poles beautthers and safeguards in great cities How
did the western Union and the Atlantic and
eloquent speeches them. another and more n,
pOrtant officer called in To tender legal tender more
tent arguments At any rate these seem to he the great
who are stopping underground tecgraphy Their
s,atesmankc minds do not approve of H."
The telegraph companies are opposed to the bill
because, in their Judgment its passage and enforce
ment would destroy the telegraph in NcwY Ork City.
They presented to the Committee the evidence Of
the ablest experts in the country. who fully sus-
tanned that opinion, and gave their reasons at great
length, examining and explaining all the experience
of the world in underground lines, and showing that
they have failed are falling everywhere under
such conditions as prevail in New York. They ended
by giving it az their Judgment that much the larger
part Of the tclcgaphng done in New-YOrk
would be impossible wires laid in the ground.
The counsel Of the telegraph companies, Ar. Low
rey, claimed that the companies were occupying the
streets with their poles by grant from the legs-
ature the same as that by which street railroads
hold their right of way. What would be said of
proposition require all the street railroad compa
MES to take Up their rails and substitute underground
railroads.
The Committee gave several attentive hearings
upon this subject which notified in advance i'll
tho papers Nobody appeared in support of the bill,
Notwithstanding the urgpntappeals OF The TRIBUNE.
Theinsinuaton that more potent arguments were
used to influence members of the Committee is cruel
"a if is untrue and unjust to the members well
to the telegraph companies. There no necessity
for "more potent arguments than those which were
addressed orally to the Committee. in the
hearing of a large audience. No intimation
has ever been made by or Oh behalf
of any member Of the Committee for any oonsidera-
ton. great small nor has any intimation or prop
oaition of COMPENSATION consideration been made
by or OH behalf Of the telegraph companies, TO any
member, or to any one elso for their benefit III
short. the nuendo Of yOur article is wholly ground
less and without Justification. Such nltluatOns are
especially unjust this company. BY reason OF the
fact that our business ami property ~ subject not
only TO tho jurisdiction OF the Uniied States ana
of every individual state and Territory, but also OF
every CITY, and every considerable town anu village
in the country. it may well be supposed that we
have many temptations TO protect our interests
against uniust exactiOns. Nevertheless, it Is
ueXiblo rule of this company which mas never yet
been departed from, to refuse anu resent al sucu
Overturrs when made 70 W., ana never 10 indhe of
allow them to be made for NJ. The officers OI
this company are of opinion that many 81
lie yexatious attacks in Washington and
been easily averted had they chosen to depart nom
this principle. IL IL hard that men who nave to
their considerable detTIment and to their great
prejudice in the good opinion OF the nuDn army OF
STRIKERS which nfests this country. lived mp to tins
principle, should DO made sublrct To nsinuatons 70
Causcless the one quoted above. yours very
r,,pectfnlly ALONZO Is. CORNELL,
Acting President Western Union Telegraph Co.
NeW- York. May D, 1873.
lin addition to the above. Mr. Cornell has given us
his personal assurance that the Western Union has
neither expended nor sanctioned any impression
that it would expend, one penny in this matter We
GLADLY give the widest publicity so this statement.
AT the same time we incline to believe that the
friendship which the Western Union has received
from some disreputable members Of the Committee
will be much less vivid after they read 1t.
The name Of Mr.. Hess Of New-York
should not have been included among the members
of the Assembly Committee on Cities. whose course
on the Underground Telegraph bill has brought them
undc- the suspicion which always attaches TO
then. 81 anything which can by any possibility
be Thought 10 have money III It, MI. LESS has
borne himself so well in the Legislature
that there is no room for doubt to the sincerity of
his mistaken convictions on this bill We wish as
much could be said Of his and Mr.. Days associates.
70 both of these gentlemen We tender. at the close
of this long session. sympathy for the embarras-
meut they must have suffered from the conpanylnto
which they have been thrown. As for the Speaker
who constituted such Committee, permanent
noIitioa exile would be too great apunishment
for his crime A man who would make Tim
Campbell, BILLY" Kirk "Jakey" Worth, CieaTy
and McGroarty majority Of n Committee on Cities
ought to be sentenced TO years solitary study OF
the ten commandments
We regret that tho Western Union thinks 1t ncces-
sary to continue to light the measure whchis certain
sooner or later TO succeed for the removal OF It's tele
cranh poles from the streets. The removal has been
n success in London and Paris. The c0nd lions are
unite a. favOrablei NewYOrk. There 49, 80 tras We
have seem but one opinion, either in the newspapers
OF the city or among the people, on the desrablty
Of the removal aud the Company is simply lighting
the people from whom it draws its support while IL
nersjs. in refusing TO avail toef Of the resources
of science in Kidding of nuisance. he testimony
of experts" who Ill tue employ of the Company
itself will not avail long against tine more practical
testimony Of London and Paris-fdI
-