The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-01
THE TELEGRAPH AND THE GOV
ERNMENT.

I
DIR. Norvin Green, president of the
Western Union Telegraph company.
has an article in the November num-
Der Of the North American Review,
in which he claims to show it would
be impolitic for the government to in
terfere with the monopoly over which
he presides. He calls the property a
"private enterprise" and declares that
the government has no power to inter-
fere in directing or taking any con-
troll over it and the business belong |
ing toit. 1t may be a private enterprise
in one sense, but in another it is most |
assuredly public enterprise, and one |
for which regulation is proper for the
protection of the public. DR.. Green
deals with the subject under two
heads-one, that it is unconstitutional
for the government to own and op-
crate a telegraph system; the other,
that it is inexpedient for it to do SO.
The doctor certainly does not mean
all he says; for if what he does say is
true, the government is now en-
gagged very wrongfully in contract
ing with railway companies
for the conveyance of mails,
and for regulating them in any sensei in
doing so. Clearly the government has
the right to control the telegraph sys-
TENS of the country, even to own
them, and the only objection that
may be made to such management,
and this is serious objection, is the
improperly of increasing under cor
rupt tendencies the business en-
ployment of the government. The
question, properly considered,
is whether it is a wise pol
icy to control the telegraph
systems. 1t is against the ques-
ton of policy on the part of the gov
erRment to take charge that DR..
Green hurls an array of figures, that
it is supposed cannot lie. Besides
questions involved in figures there
are any number of others that are Sc
riously opposed to popular control.
He says:
1t will be sufficient to compare the
facilities for telegraph business in
this country with those of the four
leading countries of Europe most adj
vanced in the science and use of the
telegraph. The mileage of telegraph
lines in these countries are as follows:
IN Great Britain Observation-Disclosures. $4,000 miles.
| III GerLldny NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 4l,OOO "
In France Observation-Disclosures $4,000 q
In In tha fTIa. and Hungary 5000
In the united otateS. .......... .1S0,OO0 -
1t will be seen that there have been
established in the United States, by
private enterprise, about twenty
thousand miles of telegraph lines in
excess of the aggregate mileage in all
these great European countries. On
the lines in the United States there
are about 500O 600 miles of wire, which
is believed to be as greatly in excess
of that in the countries named as the
excess in mileage of lines. The pop
ulation of the four countries named
aggregates about 100000, and that
of the United States is about $1,000
600. While there is, therefore, an
average of less than one mile of line
for each 1000 of population in Europe,
the people of this country have nearly
mile of line for each 300, and nearly
mile of wire for each 100 inhabit-
ants. A comparison with each coun-
try separately would be about as ia
vorable, Great Britain being some.
what in advance of the others.
There are in the United States
about $4,000 telegraph stations
against 500 on the British postal
lines. In this country there is a tele.
: graph Office for each 300 of popnla.
ton, while in Great Britain there is
only a station for each 670O souls The
proportion of offices kept open al
night and Sundays is also very much
larger in this country. This compar.
ison demonstrates that, in wire an6
Office facilities for conducting the
business of telegraphy, the people Of
this country have very great advan
tage over those of any county haV
ing government telegraph system.
In the last report of the postoffice
administration accessible to thu
writer, the progress made in ten year:
under government control was noted
with not little pride. The increase
presented was: in miles of line, 1857
in miles of wire, 81 ,861; in number Of
offices, 2843; and in number Of mes
sages, 20,0l7,147. In ten years, ending
with June, 1882, one company in thi
, country shows an increase of 1902
miles of line; 237,178 miles of wire
6831 in the number of offices; ant
26,379, 748 in the number of messages
Thus the progress of single com
pany in this country shows growth
, in one decade fourfold greater thai
, that of the British postal system il
!, length of lines; nearly fivefold create
!, in length of wire; more than twofol(
, in additional offices, though the in
l crease in the number of messages wa
: 20 per cent greater than in Grea
Britain. The result is precisely wha
might have been eXpected-that tn
telegraph having kept pace in thi
5 country with the growing demand TO
|; its use, and the increased exaction
: for prompt transmission, there is
: very much better service rendered il
> this country than under any govern
!. ment administration.
Again it is said:
q There is no greater mistake than tb
u popular declaration that telegraphinE
9 is very much cheaper in Europe thar
! in this country. On the contrary, il
: is very much more expensive. TIL
/ minimum rate of one shilling il
9 Great Britain, and sum in other Eu
ropean states equal to about % cent
. of our money. for messages between
all points within each country, carrie
: a very small volume of business /.
little greater distance than it can b,
transmitted here at as low a rate
But there is considerable telegraph
: business done in this country at
10-cent rate, and larger amount at {
, rate of 10 cents; while for long dis
tances the rates in this country art
very much lower than in any part @.
Europe. The following table ex
hibits the rates per word from Lon
don to the several countries enumer