New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-10
tor NJ bargain as to what we eoud
- -, L. n,,a Arnorican Irninn had q capital OF

VARIES 10 have declined the OFFER but considering that
other and larger class Of os S0 az specuaon
did deem It wise to decline since tnT c had
Si7 100000 W. lid not capitalize the whole OF that,
capita Sis, 100000 and something over repr senmg
that much OF surplus. and gave IL 10 our rner
s sS wss Ef%' any Thing SnrcasoSabc about
tha Now the articles ., OF IN ai t. b and
which confess had looked ut so narrowly neiote
and which filed with and made part OF the Se I'm
na"y aft~rWTrd changed to the Western Union Tele-
graph Company In those articles unlimited right TO
pnne and lin increased lines and they shall be provided
Tor by issuing increase OF capital .,, s%gh
an oa IN IN no order GtFer protect he ockoacr
It was provided that new property should Dc afquen
with me that that crcualy dsposes Of any reasonable
cause for ou'cry against the capitalization
THE QUESTION OF TELEGRs PHI RATES.
But, it is SAID. 1t is great monopoly. which Will OPP
press the people and increase the rates. Why should
that b. so2 the first place II the patrons Of the teie
graph business have three companies and three oRan
cations TO maintain, each will have to live ana nave
TO make something on its capital Then VIII noI
people necessarily have TO pay higher rates To mdhln
three separate organ aiios than Will To maintain
one, when in most the WORK can o. zone ny onc
Office as well by threci assert, therefore, me IN
nany can afford and will IN time make the rates lover
with organization than they could ah9rd 10 De aug
with three organizations in existence. bach company
will have make enough to pay expenses whcn arc
very large, or else there Is nothing TO d Dn
Now have this 10 say ihat no s'IiEl , , vUnr
pctor of tie Western Union IN fourteen years-h 'ntie
have been four or hysno nSe one % as G Gofr sre
running expenses for 8 ug!e mouth no no Sie ,h
positively t. the An rcan Union, FOR have lau no
some even t. the old United Company which we
took up 1866. there has not been single competitor
exuenses Now what is to become Of c1rpe-
ton OF that sort II you preclude Their beng
must do great damage 10 everyone lnteresteI IN
them. assert Therefore. that tue rates can an WI Dc
pot,,n. In In LANG
than they Will under DUmbrr OF Inem
have before me table showing now ths rates s
The average rate ON each telegraph message char
and collected IN lsGS ws' y ao Sd'o cen tn lSGD
1871 tie average rate was 60oio cents;
e a i12 IN Sfs 81 cent? N $3.50 cents" ~
1880 cents; iu 1873, $3.50 cents III Inc anua report
is $3.50 cents for ISIS The rile 1879 after tax
m up tne Atlantic I'd Paclc reduced onr mills 10
S SSl2 evil tie same a2r We had kn up the Atlantic
ana Pacific that 1t was after the American uhoh ms
hls Scen a steady reduction until the
rate is S rebellion E%f oeoS
by systematlzng and Classifying tue business. and
operating 1t more cheap!y and by It's large lncasf as
cheaper IN proportion than you can do smaller one,
keeping the operators busy and nthz'hG I'll 'neT un''
IMPROVEMENTS INTRODUCED.
But there is another element which has entered very
largely into inducing constant effort to perfect the
service and which, In order 10 accomplish Il. has been
accompanied with additional expense ana outlay, ana
that increasing aud constant txactions OF the pun
lie for prOmptuess. We send on IN average 5000 600
OF messages month. or 100000 iol every d1I ID m
month and would say that 50 per cent OF those We 10
be done during five business hours OF the day II we
do It great al cheaper 50 per cent OF our bus,
ness rcal, ami that requires mat business sinai
be done within Du'luess hours ana an inessdScS
answered during those hours, hnd II taxes more
operators. more wires an! greater rHl en- ,ia 10
has resulted in increased rates W. nave had opln
sois time to time Gov ring large territory qliie
large the last oppoelt on Tor thls late o
with all Its energy VIM and paade OnV reached apou
abou $40 otlcl out OF abon 5000 Although many oi
those among ine Large they were, IN fact only
out 900 offices, and many Of these offices BENZ tnr
cream Of he business, they did aOout ihhV-
the effect was 70 max every low rates;
between certain prominent piacco az New, YORK ahn
now 80 cent, bu great many lines wnorc the cOn.
pctlng lines did not reach the rates lhe rats had not
oeen cnrrespondlngiy reduced aud while We decreased
uayin rate cre was no decrease TO outside points AMI
was 10 bcnc1t the peoplt Of Chicago, New Or
sa st. Of fou The a" rural G's district sH
winch the rival lines did not exte!for wh,vcI was
lost by competition between THOSE POM nau =" uc
w borne by the rural DISTRICTS Now yearly al our
stockholders are residents OF Newloik STATE and tree
iourLs Of them IN number rrsd' III me country IoNhs
They nave put their spare money IN tn company a. an
investment and Is for them speak more particularly
THE NEED OF CONSOLIDATION.
become u law Is that II Ia bad Legislation. NOd
cannot prevent from selling ms property
The right OF alternating property Is one Of lis greatest
elements of vluo Prevent him or company from
selling to the Only parties that can nred 1t OF use IT, ana
you o,y depreciate its value for IL proves loss to
him. s.llit he mat and Will 10 one, and W Al is
the cccl It's afford large capitalists Ike Wander
hit and Guull 10 buy Tie property at their own plcc
You take two large competing systems by running IN
Opposition 10 eacn other and by Of rates tie,
4 burien Instead Of u proht TO those Interested
ony permit large capitalists t. come IN aud uy
up stocks bOth at their own h.urc ahd theD run
consolidate them, but they DO anna gamate them ana
the c1mpe, itGn sVnSn 20 10 hsf ihs MI SGd me-
vorablc compauy Tor do not think ther; w"i,i
DC Oa ID a. not "I have in nd If hey could
nor max money they could make the westerns Union
buy them up aud If you take from them that privilege
think 1t would rather protect Us. Bnt the system Is
bad. You have Inc OF steamers on the hudson RIVER
running from NcwYork to RDndout. Some one puis an
opposition lIue on tho route. he Legislature IA, =
neither party shall buy out the other 1he opposition
compcls both lines TO run at loss unlil one OF mem
c sHa'' use g their boat. is iGsr ccmpeui,gr;
only alternative the boats OF at sacrhca
condition, Duy up boh lines and make tier own terms
II woud have the same effect upon telegraph c0mpa
| MES ever dil make proni, na whle nav seen II
records OF winch have not examined nave no uoub
1t will turn out like the rest.
UNDERGROUND LINES PROMISED
You will excuse me, Mr.. Chairman. and gentlemen OF
the committee for going to another feature OF this mat
ter not before this committee There Dill beiOre the
Senate to compel the company 10 put its wires under
ground think that within year This Will be accom-
Pushed SO practicable. and desire to say VIC ART
now making every possible haste aud arrangement to
get tue wires NewYork City and other large ciiet
under ground, but law that would compel us 10 lui
our wires all under ground within twelve months would
be certainly unreasonable law ana we could not 40
H. certainly not IN way That would DC or tue or
anff he NH mi
| OF in the CITY OF NcwYOrk are Oh truck lines
three-fourlhs lines afOrdng accommodation
10 pcyae offices, would necessarily be Gu; of n
we had TO put these wires under ground. When 1een
or twenty wires running out Of the ely We could put
them urder ground without material Increase OF e1