Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-05-14
Postal Attack on Wells, Fargo Il Co

The report of the Pos al Commiss;op
condeMning the letter-carryinR service
of WELLS, FARGO & Co., and recon-.
meneiDg its prohibition by the Gov.
errment, has filled the California pub.
lie with surprise, into which feeling
considerable indignation and disgust
also enter. At Washington yesterday
paper WAS filed with Postmaster Gen.
eral Key, signed by every Senator.
Representative ard Territorial Delegate
from the Pacific Coast, protesting
against the report and from eyerv
city, community, hamlet and mining
camp interested, popular remon-
STRANGE will undoubtedly be heard, in
manner more OR less formal, accord
ing to circumstances. The truth is.
that more unwarranted, unnecessary
and damaging interference with the
public and private convenience of q
vast section OF the Union has never been
attempted. The motive of such an at
tack on system that confers incalcula-
BILE benefits, and against which not a
word has been offered from any source.
appears incomprehensible.
The arguments of the Commission
arc these: That the express company
carries its own correspondence free, as
we'll as that of the railroad company it
has intimate relations with that it car
ries letters very frequently at less rate
Of postage than is required by law +:
that 1t has become "a formidable com.
petitor with the Government for public
patronage that it diminishes postal
revenues to serious extent. and that
every postal facility that is required by
the Pacific Coast is amply utplicd by
the Government.
The first complaint is entitled to
slight consideration, since it is notori.
GUS that the practice Of WELLS, FARGO
Il Co. in this respect is identical with
that which prevails throughout the
Eastern States and the whole country.
Ii one company is to be compelled to
pay postage ON its own letters, which it
carries to its own employees, let the "re.
form be made universal, and be re-
quired to include every express COM
pany i'll the United States, and not SIM
ply the one doing business on the Pa
citic Coast. 1t may be proper to de-
mand that postage he paid Oh railroad
lOtUClo CtIIlSU tulb way Dub 10 re-
quire postage to be paid on the letters
an express company carries for itself is
doubtful demand, although one in
which the public has no immediate in
terest. So long as Eastern express
companies enjoy the privilege, it should
be enjoyed by those on the Pacific
Coast.
The accusation that WELLS, FARGO
& Co. carry letters ut less than the Gov
ernment rate of postage Is false. Each
letter transmitted by this company must
first bear the correct Government stamp
required by its weight, and the most
scrupulous attention to this regulation
is exacted. Where stamps are not pro-
durable they are supplied by the COM
pany. If the company has become q
formidable competitor with the Gov
eminent for public patronage" the fact
is not cause for censure, but is mat
ter of commentator instead. There
are but two cities on the Pacific Coast
in which this free delivery system has
been established by the Government,
and they are San Francisco and Oak
land. Everywhoro else an express
company must cater to public conven-
fence or people must themselves pro-
cure their mail. Business men who
have as little leisure as business men
on this coast usually have, are very
willing to patronize company that &C.
commodities them in this important
particular, even to the detriment of
Postal Department that has been from
time immemorial rather oblivious to the
desires of the public in this matter.
That the Government revenues are
diminished by the operations of the
express company is untrue. The COM
pany's Office and agencies are found
where United States company's mail
bags have never yet penetrated
and will not penetrate for years to
come. In mountain solitudes, in the
midst OF deserts and in mining camps
far remote from civilization, sure COM
munications are maintained by this
valued transfer organization and,
with degree of safety unequaled in
the East, the miner transmits his treas
ure tc place of security, or the pio-
neer corresponds with the family he
has left behind. In this manner, tens
of thousands of letters are annually
collected and made to yield revenue to
the Government that would otherwise
never be written.
1t is not true that Government postal
facilities ON this coast are fully up to
the standard of public requirements.
AS just pointed out, by its peculiar
management the express company pen.
etrates regions that the Government
would not be warranted in providing
with postal facilities. Nevertheless the
people of those regions must commu-
nicate with the outside world, and they
do so through the express company IL
manner thoroughly satisfactory TO
themselves. 10 deprive them OF tins
advantage would be gross injustice;
Generally speaking, and where oil
things are equal, postal facilities on
this coast are not to be- compared TO
postal facilities in the East.
The Express Company of WELLS
FARGO & Co., has grown up with "a
citic Coast civilization, and has become
au institution inseparable from interior
commercial transactions. Its letter
service is one of its most useful and IN
valuable features. The proposed pro-
b;hitinn can Onlv act iniuriOuslV III re-