New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-14
THE TELEGRAPHIC BATTLE
AN ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT GREEN
THE CAUSE OF The WESTERN UNION PREsENry,
10 IHE SENATE COMMIIIEE-IHE Pr Nn1>c -

hearing arguments with respect TO the Jones M,
authorizing railroad comoanies to construct and main
tam telegraph lines Tor commercial purposes and Ia a.
TO the Government the use OF the same. Tie s.
| tors present were Mcssrs. Mitchell, Teller Barrn
| Matthew'S. Shields and Dorsey.
! Dr. NOrviu Green, president 81 the Western u,i,
| Company, stated that his counsel Was present ana
would present CIe subject more general and anal,
! Teal aspect than he able 70 DO Ho would hovev
be please to address few remarks 10 the comro,,,
! IIo desired 70 say that in ~. Judgment ther, va, ~
nard for this legislation, aud that IL would acco,I.
nothing In the direction Of what it aimed at utbs ain
was to e.tabusn competition TO the Western Iin,oa
Teleg graph Company, such competition would Inc IN,
! bad direction. There few Railroad, n.
have any lines OF telegraph, he said and fe,,a
sull that have any lin,s o. poles The Baltimore ana
OEO hc supposed controls more miles II vie than an
other railroad company. The Ne~York Central has ne,
foot OF wire, ard he could mention half dozen lines
that have no wire. Nineteen ont OF every twenty OF M
railroads use tho wires Of the Western Union Woe,bs
usng their telegraph lines or those Of the Weser
Union they get proportion Ot the tolls received II they
! have u contract with the Western Union. Now th...
contracts have been sustained By the courts as ben,
both legal and In consondn with public requirements.
! 50 that even In the of the Baltimore and Obo
| Road tho Western Union is able successfully to RESTRAIN
| them from open ne up r"s that IN direct compeh
ton. As be set out To say, the proposed bill would A.,
complish nothing because telegraph company (and
telegraph company be- organized IN q day) ui,t
under existing statutes get al the benefits which Thu
bill would give and Which tue Western Union COMPANY
! has.
| President Green alluded to tAe cheap rates fo,
Government tee era hing. aud asked ftts bccomn,
! fr the Government. that the company had et.
tended is lines iato distant Territories, Arizona and
Lower California where there Is little no business Ia
assume authority 10 Xix the VIC Of the company',
raes and make that investment yalucle,s1 lie knew
that company he repres' had been alluded a.
a mammoth monopoly He admitted that 10 Is strong
puration but strong corporations have weak Door
stockholders very large number or tue stOokhodsr,
IN the Western UGiOn are widows and orphans WHOSE
whole estate consists OF the aDy stock aud bond.
The company Is sense "a monopoly. The c0untrys
open TO anybody ami everybody that wants to build
telegraph lines There many who have tried owe,
ard am bnt experience has demonstrated, what
the logic OF the would show, that Que telegraph
company can the business at lower rates han two or
even three four.
The Ch,irnan-Your company perhaps. can do II. bw
! SiI IT.
Dr. Green assumed that it would aud does It bad
already broken down an opposition backed By million
ares and only result has been TO lower The rates
| Mr Dorsey-Tnat is rather proof IL favor OF
| petition.
DR. Green replied that wear after he competition had
terminated, after the other companies had pooled
JogC her the reduction wa 4l2 cents per mes
4
cents per message, against 81 Is ten years peyt
ously when consolidation was first perfected rcdne
on OF rates has been steadily going Oh. and is
true he said that the Western Union Is increasing iu
charges.
The Chairman asked what relations exist between
what Il known "a the Associated Press and the Western
Uuion Company
Mr.. Dorsey-And the public press.
| The Cbairman-Of course.
DR. Green-I am very much Obliged for this question
and il gives mt pleasure IT, for there IL ah
lueiy nothing to coucrai IN connection with those rt
tions ANNOUNCEMENTS have been made by again aud
again that we would transmit the dispatches OF any
other associations of Ike service for like price with
out favor OF any kind. The Associated Press OF New
Y tx Has ORGANIZED collect the news OF the world.
They have their reporters eYerywher'. At bo1e and
abroad and they pay large sum Tor cable telt-
grams They are a formed expressly 10 gather
ana the news 50 gathered - ln't as mnch thrt
property % private telegram OF private IetrG lacy
! do NOT monopulze the vs.. NJ they collect It also
for other as OcatlOns. the NeHGors STATE Press Tue
Missouri and the California > at Pres the Western
Press Association, aud thor associations They transmit
an Their TO these associations over Or wires The
Western Associated Press transmits turOuhh us uooW
OiO words "a dag, and Ne deliver II 10 about ntT az
fortut uap,rs IA twenty five or thnty different to"na
We raIsn 1t II from Newi 0rk 70 eSeYl cOfthrar 0Nm
al LGing and get iGt 1t aOot 5'2 cents per word
Now on opposition paper comes To Us aud wishes US 70
transmit special report foI i5e same rae rs We 'end
one OF Hfty, else they must Laye that same 70
| port We'll, We say, We carno; ave you tLat npoFt
beeause u does not he ong to us II you Want spec
report, get up II continuation ana tAeu We Will send
Ut tie same We have ALWAYS made concessions
| 10 the outside p'pe-s where they are redoohDe' .,
The ChairDlI-Is there aul ling ~ y0ui contract
! WIN tnc Associated P.ess that would prevent YOU
s'nd!ns the news OF other comOinatl"hsh you "sueu
D.. Grren-N ,nlDg uat"yer except Tat We edhh9s
! afford 10 supply anynody at IA tenth OF q htleH
! part OF the price paid by our Dest customers
/ or course nave Propositions made 20 u that We
sheId establish news BUREAU collect tn, new. ana
er>hp or uropretorshlp 10 the news bus hsVr taa-
United It Simply We shrink rom the P a,1Sss.
! Gus power III the hands 81 any corlof-'oo;;
! We could uuder, axe to make reports q
! political news for all the journal, ub, Gn'.s
! States. Whv il did cOnd clerf any body We
pleased You place thit power III INC nlhis OF Us
| graph company, and ic' tbeM MAKE Two counus
news day every newspaper In tbc land, what snow
! wound any body have against them :
the CO iitnau-Do YOU know what tie arrangements
between tie Associated Press and other paper an
Dr. Gree only say nave some knOwedge on,
but II IL noneO my business roo ln' ance' ths Wese
Associated Prrs and ms Assoc iS'd Press OF Sc"-i0n
make arrang meats win Us for news oy cabr, andy
forming il combination they get it ch-apy. II the ont
SIDE papers want % geI Such news the cOmbll aiiyo
charer big bonus OF course out we nave Do'hHk o
! Mr Dawes-But could not the public or the other s
! peis send tins npwsl .,
| Dr. Greeu-we have not tho slightest objection. II
u funeral; they send as much O" tBey
Mr.. ID ,wrs-Ihe compliant seems 10 DC tLat ne we.
| ern Union shields itself statement that II IS ooOe
OF s business. whie AZ ~ same time II SVeS 'ne ns
clated Press special acties LINK sOulo Iessa"''
| is needed 10 correct tins. -
Dr.. Grecn-Let tho Government start news burtsa
| then, anu collect and send the news itself ,.
! MI Dawes-YOu have the right 10 make such terms"
Won please VITA tie Associated Press. have you Dott
Dr. Grecn-I assume that rs pub 10 carriers We sa''
! 10 carry all pubic messages ~ a common charge -,
| Mr.. Dswos-My impression Is that you nave HND'
| To cha any price you please.
! DR.. trreu-Nell that might De, but wDerF'tA
max concessions. We have special conditions BE,
s,uatur MRttdews--IIaye you not used You pow
under thn Act ~ 1856 naA" cantrac WIN 1he va,
Gus railroad cOmpanies :. AT they sba not give "a
Telegraph companies the privileges 10 which 'ne' NV
! enuuod and r That act Asa and
DE- li.-ri,--So ar wo have NOT Between mere sin n
Nrw-HOra Ia really econonicH s'1p 49, h.-
HAVING lf poles tue railroad. VISA Su' me-,
tween WASHINGTON and New York were on 'I' o., Siet
W.. maintain them cheaper. through Wv
| parts uf the country there Ia a material Au'A"e
| having them oIfAhe railroad. sny
-, itur Aatthevh-Haye you not c0ntrarle ,grehe
RAJ. road fOl the Inclusive right 10 erect '''h''T
Ines ON men ruadl ,,h ,a.
| Dr. Gro-n-No lave very many contfsGs I'M, tla
Rad for the Xc ISVe r,gut ~ way, ana ase'l,e