, 1881-02-01

Of nll tho iarro companies. In fact most Of the
telegraph llnes Of tho country como within tho
operation OF TINT act and Of my pro-
posed law. The nvo.ycar llm.t proposed
by The not, within which tho Goyczn-
nnent shoull not bo permitted to purchase
those lines, or my Of them, has elapsed. In
1910. wien tho postal telegraph subject was dis.
cu'sc'1t tho Western Union appeared bctoro
Congress md maintained that, II the Govern
:,ent should un1crtako to do this work,
It would do 1t ut constant loss, and
TINT no Government Ind ever assumed
tho telegraph business except Mt loss. II those
statements wcre tr1lo then thcy arc not tr1i1
now. On tho cnntrnry, have obtained n largo
amount Of information aa 10 tho operations OF
TEr.Eu,tAiiIs IN EUROPE
which show that ttoy yield a large profit at
racs otle.thtrt1 less than arc patd In this coun.
try.
'l,ut how, Mr.. Springer" was asked,
"wlll yoi overcome the opposition to any
such blll which will i}c tnAdc, particularly
Within your party. OIL tlla theory Of centra1-
izatEon?n
"That objectio1l." Sfr. Springer replied.
s'can no more he raised to tclcgraplls tlian 1t
Is to tho postal system. II postal tule-
Rrapll system should be adopted. the
Government would simply send tue corrc-
suondchcc of the people By wire Instead OF
by rail, and deliver 1t III the clttcs as 1t now
delivers letters. 1t would he simply differ
cnce III tic medium Of transmission. BE-
sitIes, it Is wrong for the Government ID al
low Its people to he
rt.CSpElsi:D Uy r1stvATE ESTEHrIl1RE,
when tllG Government cnl, interfere md &C.
cure justicu and fa1r play for the rlnsscs Of
citizens who are nut able 10 cn1oy the ad-
rnntar@ which organized uo,,oIH!tes secure.
Tile system, IL adopted, wo,tId greatly fncili-
tate tic business anil social Intercourse Ut
tho penpfe, and would undoubtedly be
II liberal ciyllizlng agency. 1t would bB we'll
Tor the Government to control tho system ns
1t DOES the lAaiiy, and, because It does control
the matts. tho two branches Of the services
could bo operated toEethcr."
sl,IuSnEIss lnt.1.,
To the 1Itste.7s 4tisoetdt<d Pres&
WASHINGTON. u. G., Jun. W.-Representa-
tive Springer introduced intO tho House to-
day bill to provide for the appraisoment Of
| telegraph lines owned and operated by conf
panicsactng under the provisions of tile net Of
Congress passed July, lSGA entitled "An act
! to MD in the construction Of telegraph lines
| and secure to the Government the use Of tho
SAME for postAl. military, ntld nti,cr purposes,
and to procuru Information concerning postal
te!egrapl,s III 0tl,or countries" The first Sec
| tim provides for the appointment OF =
A laoAllD OF Ar11tAIsEils,
Under tho act illpntlonetl. consisting OF five
rprst,ns,-lwa appointed by the Postmaster
General, two by the company Interested, and
one by tho four previously selected4-w
ase authorized to ascertain the actual cash
value Ut NIL tho plant, Property, ar1 effects
| OF the Company Interested, tIclnd1ng the
| yA!Ne and character nf NIL leases, contracts,
| tf,or II
Company from all sources, the operating OK
,enscs. the rates charged for transmitting
messages, the royalty paid to Inventors, anil
fo%sEo Siar f' e c saSsSsa' sSec e apprasskTa
for each Company shall meet in thg City Of
New York within ono month after the pass
ageof this net, take oat!I for the faithful per-
experts, etc., and nrc required to Keep record
nf their proceedings, preserve a!l tho CYL
tellcg taken, have power, and ure required.
tltle, ie,ses, anl ali papers deo,neti BY sal,l
| nppraiscrs necessary III order to enable them
to ascertain allt report the true nnl
ACTUAL CASH y4A1.uE
Of all tho pIant. property. and effects OF suc1,,
conay: Th reports aIe to bo forwarasa va 1s
tcnlhc.r, as!tl by lin to 10 printed and trans
,Mfttral to- Congress ut lis next December
session. THO President ot the unitcd States
Is a4thorized nn9 directed to aldress sircn. u:
or tile United Status residing III Govern
lIel,ts having, atoptet tho p.'sta.-teiegraph
systens. requiring them to report rron tho
working of such systems In the Goyern!ltpitts
to which they are uccrettted, md furnish NIL
the. retafretl information on tho subject,
which .rep0rts shall also ~ printed and
transmitted to Congress Mt lts next Dccoul;;
l,er session. The ltl WIS rcatl twice. ordered
printed. ard referred to tl.n Committee on
l'tst-Ohices and Post t-lsnads. Tho blu Is
drafted In accordance with ttle not mentioned
IN Its title, which WIS passed In July, lS4ta
i}y tile provisions Of
THIS ACT OF 1900 y
tho telegraph companies nra requlrch 't0 &C.
sept fro.n the UNttGA Statea the amount Of
thu appraised value Of thetr property, mud oil
three 0f tte companies now prominently be-
fire the public ltart tlCla filed MT acceptanca
Ut lhEs pr,yisl0n Of TIN Inv, and obligated
Itself To accept tho nlIl0unt 1T lts appraised
vAtue whom tllo sntlt0 fs rendered BY tho
UmItct. States.