The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-31
DIR. Norvin Green TestiGes.
He TELLS WHAT HE KNOWS ABOUT TIL
TELEGRAPH.
lBy telegraph to the Dispa'ch.l

by cittIili W int Dl1Id'tilsl
NEW York, August 30.-Dr. Norvin
Green. president OF the Western Union
Telegraph Company, appeared as a witness
to-day before the subcommittee OF the
Senate Committee on Education and Id
Dor. which is investigating the relations
between labor and capital and the causes
OF labor troubles. lie testified as to his
connection with the Western Union Com
pany, his knowledge OF the teegraphic
service in this country and IN England, its
growth in the United States, the growth
and present condition OF the West
ern Union Company, and other matters
bearing upon the relations OF that company
10 the public. He said he had been
connected with the Western Union Com
pany since 1866, and had been its president
for the past five years. Prior to 1866 the
Western Union Company had absorbed the
United States Telegraph Company, and
had thus extended its lines to Salt Lake
City and the Northwest. 1t had also ABB
sorbed the American Telegraph Company.
At that time the capital stock OF the West
ern Union was 4l,0G1.000. Since that
time il had absorbed large number OF
smaller companies. TWAS necessary many
wears ago, he said, TO buy up rights Of way
along railroads. and OF these the company
now owned about six hundred. The
Capitalization of the Western Union
was formerly 5000 mite, but now ii
was less than 300. Its capital stock was
now about SS0,000,000. Witness explained
to the committee the nature OF the con-
tracts which the company had with rail-
roads, and which, he said, ran from twenty
TO thirty years. The service OF railroads
to the company was, he said, OF great
utility to the company. but OF small pecil'
MARY benefit to the railroad. The capacity
OF the company for transmission OF dis
patches was now, he said, double what ii
was five years ago. He asserted that the
company could do its business much more
cheaply il it were to adopt the English
post-oilice system and take its owl
time. He was satisfied, he said, that
there was no Geographic service In
the world as good as that OF the west
ern Union Company. Witness presented
figures illustrating the growth oil tele
graphs in the United States since 1896. H'
thought the public had been slow III ap
preciating the difficulties under which tele
graph companies had labored in bulldint
up their systems, and pointed out that i
was only about 1856 that telegraph pro
perty began to weld dividends. He alsC
said that in every instance in which there
had been consolidation OF companies thu
nubIic had been gamers. He deprecated
the efforts that are being made to compe
the companies to place their wires under
ground.
sumed his testimony. Four-fifths OF tn,
Western Union operators had been Office
bovs and messengers. The average salarl
maid TO their employees is so month.
LARGE number of their female operator
were educated ut the Cooper Institute a
the expense Of the company, abou
sivtv onerators year being turned out
Average wages Of Western Union opera
TORS Is s6s. IS, and that OF all operators il
tbe country is 5000. Witness denied tn
assertion Of the New York Times that non
Of their operators received more than 50
= month. and added that the operator re
ceiying Times specials gets 800 mont
. for five hours work and $50 in the Pro
duce Exchange for five hours, making SIS
a month The operators here get twic
as much nav as in England. but they d
more work. He thought the strike shout
have been won by the company at an
cost The main cause OF the strike was
| belief that number OF available operator
outside Of the employ Of the compan
, were in the strikers power. The Goul
system of railroads IN It's effort
, to obtain frst-class operators force
7 nm wages beyond the market value {
. services rendered. The general rates o
; ali their hines had been gradually reduced
The tendency OF wages IL upward, an
they were never higher than now: Wome
! do not intend to make life-work OF ope
: ating. The best female operators receive
o-a -