New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-13
Edward Everett Hale on M0nopolies.

1t there Ia one part OF the service which
the government renders to the people more
popular than another, it is the weather
service of the Signal Bureau. From the
school girl who saves her new silk frock
because the burean tells her it is going to
rain, round to the manufacturer who saves
two inches of water IN Lis upper reservoirs
because ''Old Probabilities" tells him rain
is coming, every body is grateful to the
"bureau," rs it is familiarly called. There
are 80 few of the departments of the gov
ernment whose service comes to our homes
that We are all the more grateful for this
service which We see and use every day.
We ere advised by the manager of the
Western Union Telegraph Company that
they can perform the same service with
equal Satisfaction to the public for one
half the money, and he is quite willing to
undertake it at that reduction.
The telegraph company will take the
weather service on contract for half price!
This does not seem to us very Obliging. We
doubt it the public will give it the contract
or be much indebted for the proposal. If
it will begin by doing some of its own work
for halt what it extOrrs now, it can with
more reason talk of doing other peoples.
Nay, if it will do it's own work reliably
do it all, instead of selecting the plumes,
and letting the rest 60, it will be time for it
to talk Of doing other peoples business.
Here is the most gigantic monopoly
known to America. For q service which in
cents for twenty words, these people
charge what they choose. For service
which in almost any country in the world
is under strict government responsibility,
they are under no visible responsibility
whatever. A dispa patch to Chicago, which
in England would cost twenty-four cents,
COSTS here something like 81. If, when it
gets there. the operator has gone to
tea," that is sufficient excuse for its nom
delivery in time. IL is this company which
does this sort of work for the public which
now offers to do the signal service work for
half price.
Would not the Western Union like TO
take the public schools OF Boston on con.
tract9 Or would it not be good enough to
fight Sitting Bull at half price 1t can un.
dOubtedly do these things quite as we'll as
it can take the signal service.
The snare taken by great corporations in
the most interesting subjects which serious
students of our politics new have to con-
slider. We are told every year that the
Central railroad goes in" for this candi-
date, that the "BostOn and Albany" goes in
tor that, that the tom Scott" goes for that.
All the railroad corporations, indeed, are
supposed to have their political connections.
But they work under the oversight OF the
public press. and must keep decent regard
to appearances, tor fear they should incur
it's censure. The Western Union Telegraph
is more fortunate. Every daily paper in
the country is dependent on the good ma
ture of its conductors.
We are quite sure that whoever discussee
its affairs in the daily journals will do go in
very delicate language, and when it does
assume the signal service, or the conduct
Uf the State Department, we may be quite
sure that it is only its victories that we
read OF in the daily press, and never its de-
feats.
Let tho Western Union begin by deliver
ing dispatches at the English or Swiss
rates, and by treating all newspapers on
equal terms, and . ter that let it issue its
formal proposals. for assuming the duties of
the government of this country. Till then,
the more modes, il is in such proposals the
better.-B0st0n Times