The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-14
pense and doing all the business, woulC
The ohairnlan-Your Y company perhaps

DR.. Green assumed that II would an
does. They had already broken down q
opposition backed BY millionaires, and u
only result was TO lower the rates.
Mr.. Doney-That Is rather proof |
favor Of competition?
Dr.. Green replied that 0 year after III
competition had ended, after the othe
companies had pooled together, the ave-
age reduction was ~ cents per messagI
During the last year the price average
3S4 cents per message, as against 81 As te
years previously. When the consolidi
tlon was first perfected q reduction OF rate
had been steadily going on, and twas nc
true that the Western Union were il
creasing their charges. There was n
company in the universe that would SEN
q message the same distance for the sam
money. fl['
Chairnan-Ia am inclined to the Opinion
that what has done more To agitafe thi
question, and cause great many peopl
70 call for some legislation on the subject
Is what Is regarded as o great monopol,
on the part Of the Associated Press.
would like to know for my own informa
ton II 1t is proper, what relations exiB
between what Is known as the Associates
Press and Western Union Company.
Mr.. Dorsey-And the public press2
The Chairman-0f course.
Dr. Green-I am very much obliged fol
this question. II gives me pleasure Il
answer 1t, for there Is absolutely nothinI
70 conceal In connection with these Tela
tons. The announcement has been mad,
by lis again and again that we woulr
transmit dispatches OF all other associa
tions OF like service for 0 like price, with
out favor Of any kind. Now an oppo
sition paper comes to US and wishes Us L
transmit a special report for the same rate
as we send 70 the Associated Press paper
or else they must have that same report
We'll, We say, we can't give you that re.
port because 1t don't belong to us. We
have always made concessions TO the out,
side papers where they are reasonable.
The Chairman-Is there anything in
your contract with the Associated Press
that would prevent your sending the
news OF other combinations II you wished
pr. Green-Nothing whatever, except
mat We can't afford 70 supply anybody a
0 tenth or fifteenth part OF the price
paid by our best customers?
The Chalrman-Do you know what the
arrangement is between the Associated
Press and other papers?
Dr. Green-I can only saw | have some
knowledge The Western Associated
rress and tho Associated Press Of New
YORK make arrangements with us for
news BY cable, but we have nothing to do
with the news,
Senator Matthews-Haye you not ussd
yourpower, under the act OF 1875, to make
a contract with the various railroad com.
panies, that they shall not give TO other
telegraph pompapies the privileges to
which they are entitled under that SotP
Dr. ireen-No, sir; we have not be.
tween here and New York. There is real.
" no economical advantage in having our
poles on the railroad. ! wish our lines
between Washington and New York were
on the highway. We could maintain
them cheaper. Through thewilder parts OF
the country there Is o material aiyan.
tage IN having them on the railroad.
senator Matthews-Haye you not con.
tra9ted With any railroad torthe exclusive
right to erect telegraphic lines on their
road? 'S''
DR.. Green-We have very MANY sucb
contracts with railroads for the exclusive
right OF way, and I assume that this bin
wonld not affect them as there are plenty
OF other avenues open.
Senator Matthews-Yes, yes, but LET ma
put question. Under the act OF 1855. as
youyourself Interpret It, any organization
organized, say in New York, for tele.
graphic purposes, may 60 upon any post
road, which includes railroads, even In
spite OF local legislation, into Florida for
whore the State Legislature has
passed an enactment forbidding It, It gives
you National privilege over all National
post roads. That being so, Is It not a fact
that as in The case OF the Pensacola Tele.
graph Company you have made contracts
Tor the entire track; where you can Won
have made contracts with the railroad
companies whereby you hind them to pro,
NUT another telegraph company to come
on that part ot the road, notwithstanding
that act gives them the right TO 20 on any
post road. ~ f''
DR.. Green-Tn the first place 1t does not
glve them any right to go on any railroad
%lthoutthe railroad company'spe permission.
1t gives them the right to maintain and
operate lines, having first acquired the
right to place them there. That mower IL
given by the States. There Is nothing al
soIntely prohlhltory In all that, and | can
not SEQ how this bill Is going to help it.
un motion ol Mr.. Matthews, the com.
mittee adjourned until tomorrow morn