, 1881-01-30

Government md1 w bA Aso o'A Ae~o"0@
what it is at liberty to authorize others to
do. The greater powerincludes tne~less. ANY
In tl.is country toward the es-
tablishmeut Of a Government postal telegraph
must uroceed, in Justice to the people, inde-
pendenrly Of the existing companies, their
watered stock, and their extortionate rates.
The single error in the establishing OF the
English system Of postal telegraph was the
purchase at a fictitious valuation OF the lines
and privileges of the private companies.
The transaction proved to be huge swindle
The Government was not merely cheated In
the price it paid, but was loaded up with a
lot of obsolete material which it could not
use to advantage. As matter OF fact the
English Government had-no sooner bought
out tho telegraph companies than it dis
covered that 1t was necessary to construct
new lines and provide new material; 1t mlght
much better have begun the work Of con-
structiop de 7,ouo. ANY project for Coy
ernment telegraph In this country must take
warning OF the English experience and look
to the establishment OF new facilities With
out any regard to the existence or fictitious
value Of existing lines.
The bill introduced into the United States
Senate by Senator Kirkwood, which proposes
the creation of United States Postal Ie1e-
graph Company" upon terms that WILL Sc
dme the construction Of the lines by private
qahMal, and the operation thereof in connec-
tion2 with the Post-Of1lce Department and
under the supervision Of the Government,
presants a new solution Of the telegraph
problem, and in shape that may be prac-
ticable, and desirable. The proposition on
the fase Of the bill Is certainly fair The
Company asks that the United States Govern
ment shall extend to it the right OF
etninent,, domain over the post-roads'.
bridges, public and private lands, 1of
the same unlmpeded construction and main-
tenance of telegraph lines which the Govern
ment might exercise. and also the privilege
Of running these lines into the PostOf1lce
buildings. In consideration Of such prlv1-
leges the Company agrees to subject its bust
ness to the supervision Of the Post-OHce
Department.; to fix uniform rate OF twenty
cents on messages Of twenty words to anu
from ali points within the United States; to
nav the Government the regular rates OF one
cent for drop-letter delivery, two cents for
special delivery; to begin the construction
of its lines within ninety days; to have the
principal cities joined by telegraph connec-
ton within twelve months; to build 30,0oo
mttes within three years, and 10000 miles
within seven years; to limit the issue OF
stock to the actual work Of construction at
/ fixed rate; and to issue to the Government
one-l,alf the stock, which, without having
any claim upon dividends, shall enable the
Government to bar any disposal OF the COM
pany's franchises and property.
There is not reasonable doubt that SUCH
scheme, authorized by the Government,
would be carried out much more promptly
thnn is promised. for the simple reason thai
| it would pay. Any company that shall un-
| dertake to do the telegraph business OF the
| country at uniform rate OF 20 cents for
messages Of twenty words, and one cent
| word beyond that, without regard to dis
tance, and with a corresponding reduction
| in night rates, will be able to do it at
| profit. Distance is not an element OF ex-
! pense in the telegraph business, except rs to
| the additional inyestmentto cover the ground.
! The profit in a uniform and cheap rate mas
| been abunuantly demonstrated by the En-
| 9ltsh nxhAriencaaI: Tie rnte OF. e5 cents upon
| twenty words has proved to be so prohtahe
! in England, In the face Of an Investment
equivalent to perhaps three times the actual
cost value Of material, that reduction to
one-half that amount Is already con-
templated and will undoubtedly be made
within a very short time. In fact,
the success of this system of tele-
graph is so certain that, If such bill as
Senator Kirkwood's shall pass. 1t Is not u11-
| likely that the consolidated Western Union
| will endeayor to prevent the establishment
| Of the new system by coming In under the
proposed terms without any consideration
!! for Its Inflated stock.
It may be that further investigation will
show that the Iowa project for postal tele'
graph is not so desirable as full Gov
ernment ownership and operation would be:
but at first sight it suggests two advantages
over the proposition that the Government
shall construct an independent system Of its
| own. The first is, that the aesideratum o1
a D ,stal telegraph under Government con
| troll, and with fixed, uniform, aud minimum
rate, may thus BE- acquired without the In
yestment of Government moneys, and thai
in this why the usual waste and frequent
| scandal of Government contracts may bt
avoided. The second advantage is, that the
plan OF private ownership and management
under Government supervision and restraint
will remove the chief objection urged to thf
/ Government telegraph-viz. that such
system would create another political ma
chine and.lead to new abuses in the Civi
Service. Under the plan of private owner
ship the business Of postal telegraph com
pany would be conducted with the sanlt
view to economy and profit, and would bt
as widely separated from political Influence:
as that Of the existing telegraph companle!
is now. Certainly the Kfrkwood bill is {
RI good promise for public protection agaIns
telegraph combination and monopoly in the
near future, for it indicates purpose to dc
something:
4sIronoln1cnl.
Chicago (TR1buSE of1ce), north latitude
II deg. 5..n. SIS; west longitude 4@rn. 1885, from
Washington. and 5h. 6on. 3os- from Greenwich.
The snb3olned table shows the time Of set
II r. 4%1x1 33fhixu