Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-09-28
DAILY POST IHrELLIGEHCER
SERVICE.


The Victoria Colonist talks to its nome
readers and the Provincial and Domn-
ion authorities in the plain manner FOL
lowing:
Dnr;no his stay in the Province the
$3.50 ~ I,orne will have many Prac-
teal illustrations of the complete col
sonaa Of the Geographic service under
The arrangement effected BY Mr; Sis-
hoyna With the Western Union leie
rranh COMPANY. On the evening on
BE ErcelIency'e arrival, it Il SAID, seie-
GRAMS to Her Majesty Announcing the
safe coming of the party reached tne
ofsice in this city shortly after Clock
ond Although the obliginR young Iaoy
IN charge would have gladly forwarded
than. abe was powerless for the reason
thot ali the offices between vlctofia anu
Seattle were closed at 8 O'Clock: An
other disoraceful fact which has already
Sorcad itself upon the attention OF his
EvcaIiency Ia the absence OF daily tete-
oranhio dispatches in the newspapers.
si;h;e 10 another result of the Osborne
system. When tho line TO Victoria was
IN the hands of the Western Union 1ei-
acranh Company news dispatches were
ABUNDANT and cheap. since the ar
ranoement under which the lines were
taken over by the Canadian Govern
ment news dispatches have become
scarce and high. Since the 9TH OF May
last hut ono news dispatch has been To-
caived by the press of this 3lty. ne
monstrance and complaints have peen
frequently made without any GOOD re-
snIt being attained. The CHIEF othces
in the province should be what are
termed 1nioht" offices; that Ii. offices
Where an operator 10 always on duty
from y very early hour in the morning
until a yery late hour in the night. VIC
toria6s the only considerable Office on the
Continent that is denied a might OPP
orator. The word denied is used be-
oause. although an American company
ara prepared 70 lay cable from the
American side to Victoria and establish
and maintain an efficient service, the
Goyernment at Ottawa deay them the
privilege of landing tho cable. inns
denial would be right and proper II the
Dominion Government evinoed any IN
tention 70 make the service az efficient
"a the growing wants Of this promising
vounu city demand. But not alone do
the Government refuse flanchlse TO
the American company; they refuse to
reform the system also. Upon whose
advice the Government are acting-or,
rather. not acting-it Is impossible to
nav: but the advice, judged by results,
n very bad. The teleRraphic service OF
tho province can never 10 made SELF
supporting unless some life, energy ana
ability are infused into the system.
Thsae remarks are not intended to ap-
NV TO individuals, but to the service.
which. to be of valuo to the pubic and
a aource of revenue to the DOMINION,
must be placed ON an efficient footing.
For the public interest it IL necessary
that there should be radical reform III
the system.
As the press of Victoria consider it In
cumbent to be upon opposite sides OF
every question, the Standard at once
took exception to the Co,onist article,
which to the ordinary Individual would
seem not only unobjectionable but emil
nently proper. The Standard argued
against any further increase OF service
TO the south, and urged instead the
building Of a line wholly through Cana
dian territory, giving them direct COM
munication with the East, and 80 with
Europe. This sounds very well, but in
vestiQation will show that it is hollow
pretence and has nothing to recommend
it.
In the first place the Canadian Pacific
Railroad is building across the conti-
nent, and probably will be for several
years to come. Until it is finished and
in operation no telegraph line will be
constructed along its route, or near it.
The Company has until 1890 to finish
the road, and at the nearest will be
hardly be through with its gigantic un-
dertaking in less than three or forr
years. Meanwhile, by needing the sue
gestiOns Of the Standard, the Province
will be cursed and disgraoed with the
wretched, inefficient service of the
present.
When that road is done, and that line
is built, there will be no newspaper in
Victoria rich enough to avail itself of
press dispatches over that route. II will
be entirely too long and costly. No one
paper outside Of San Francisco can az
ford today to pay for the transmission
of the news across the continent, and
no paper will be able to, either in Ore
gon, Wellington or British Columbia,
until II h printed In q town Of at least
10000 inhabitants. That Portland,
Seattle or Victoria will mot have that
number inside of ten years there is no
room for doubt. BY the present system
the news is helped over the continent
by such large cities (after leaving Chi
cage and st. Louis) as Kansas City,
Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake, Virginia,
Sacramento and San Francisco, and up
tho coast BY Portland and Seattle. Were
u not for this help Of one place 10 an
other-brin2ing the news all tho way
to Portland free Of cost to us--Posr-
IxTElIIoxNcHR readers would be COM
pelled to do without their daily install
msnt Of late news. only q few hours at
the furthsst from New York, Ottawa.
London. Paris, Constantinople, Calcut-
ia and other parts Of the globe from
5000 70 1000 miles distant. Were it not
for thu same help the Orsgoniss would
have no news. and the whole and sole
reliance Of the Pacific slops would be
upon the press OF San Francisco. And
- II 10 now it will unquestionably re-
main for decade At least.
And what we have said Of news dis
patches i almost a. true of private
matter. A line Of 1000 or more miles in
length cannot be maintained and oper-
ated for a tri6e, and when built will be
made to pay every dollar possible. It
viii undoubtedly b good thing, and
an accommodation to our neichbors.
but they may a. we'll Dismiss the idea Of
its being Of unmixed delight.
Again, il our ne,ehboFs north Of the
line can have three lines of telegraph
leading out Of their Province 90 much