The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1879-02-22
Railroad Telegraphs.

There is bill before Congress author
izing railroad companies to construct and
maintain telegraph lines for commercial
purposes, and to secure to the Govern
ment the use Of the same for postal, mill
tary and other purposes. The bill has
been introduced by Senator Jones, of
Florida, and is one of national importance.
DIR. NOrvin Green, President of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company, was heard
in opposition to the measure by the Senate
Committee on Railroads, to which Senator
Jones' bill had been referred. His state
ment is special plea on behalf of the tel
egraph corporation over which he pre-.
sides. He argues, first, that railroad COM
panies have the right, under the statute of
1866, to construct and operate telegraph
lines, wherefore this bill Is unnecessary,
as it confers no additional powers; sec.
ond, that the Government would commit
a breach of faith and contract with the
Western Union Company by sanctioning
this bill, which would create opposition,
and thereby reduce its revenue. Now, it
is self evident that these grounds of oppo-
sition are irreconcilable. DR.. Green does
not state exactly the facts in regard to
the law of 1866, but he rightly apprehends
the scope of the present measure. He ad-
mitted, in reply to Senator Stanley Mat
thews, that the Western Union Company
has made many contracts with railroad
companies for the exclusive right to con-
struct telegraph lines over their roads,
thereby preventing the construction of
competing telegraph lines, although the
law expressly gave the right to any COM
pany or corporation desiring to do 50.
The law of Congress had thus been made
a dead letter by the private operations of
the Western Union Company. Should
the bill before Congress pass, in the in
terest of the public these special contracts |
in favor of telegraph monopoly would be-
come imperative, and competing lines
would probably be constructed, forcing a
reduction in the rate of telegraph charges. |
Of course the Western Union is opposed |
to this, and DR.. Green appeals for consid-
Grafton on behalf of the helpless widows
and orphans who constitute the bulk of |
the shareholders of this "strong corpora
tion," according to the imaginative Presi-
1ents statement. His allusion to the ex-
tension of the company's lines in Southern
California and Arizona as reason why
Congress shonld not legislate upon the
question will hardly bear close ex-
lmination. Fortunately, we have, in the
military telegraph, in that very region, a
tandard of comparison by which to Judge
resident Green's plea for consideration.
lie said: "Was it becoming for Govern
nent, now that a company had extended
heir lines into distant Territories, now
hat they had opened up Arizona and {
4ower California, where there was little
# no business, TO assume authority to fix
he whole of the company's rates and
make that investment valueless? 2" Now
s the military telegraph in Arizona pays
at rates very much lower
han the Western Union tariff, we fail to
ecognize the force of his appeal. The
nth is, telegraph charges .re very much
l excess of what they should be, and any
'gislation which would tend to a reduc- r
on in the transmission of messages and
lcreased facilities for the public would be
national booh.-Post.
H. II. Haines, Superintendent of the
Weston Union," passed through Yuma r
n the 10th.