Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-03
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
John Mackey Determined to Give the
PUBLIC Cheap Ratcs-His Opinion Of
Gould.

| From the Carson (Nev.) Appeal
John Mackey was interviewed by represent
| alive OF the appeal. His mind is conferred on
| postal telegraphy, and he talked very freely oh
| the subject.
Reptile scheme is now fairly launched,
suppose?
Mackey.-We have started several lines, and
our factory In AnsOnia Conn.,, is turning out
fifty miles of steel and copper wire day. The
wire is copper, with steel running throug Oh
the center to give it strength. 1t will last for
years. Look at these old iron wires (waving
his hand out of the car-wndow). They wear
out. and it keeps men repairing all the while.
They are of very little account. Our wire is a
world-beater.
Rep.-Any lines in operation yet9
Mackey.-Between New York and Chicago we
send 500 messages a day with four operators
under the new system. The dispatches are fixed
on cylinder and then it goes like flash. We
charge % cents for 20 words, and my idea is that
such tariff is too high. There is big money in
half cent word. | hope to see the tariff re-
duced to 1919 cents for % words The greatest
expense is the delivery. and we expect to adopt
a system by which the dispatches can be turned
over to the post office and put into the delivery
boxes the same as letters. By combining the
postal telegraph with the pOst-offices i'm large
cities we give the public the cheapest system for
the area of country covered in the world.
Rep.-You will pay high wages to operators?
Mackey.-We will pay the highest wages for
| skilled labor. and I consider that a telegraph
operator must be man of the highest intelli-
gence. Some of the Western Union men who
have grown old in the service get $40 month.
Our new machines are labor-saving and we can
afford to pay the best wages. We can handle
ten times the amount Of business that the West
ern Union can and will make that extra bust
ness by placing teeeraphy where poor men can
use it. Goulds line is capitalized for over
500, 0O0.O 600, and it can be duplicated to-day for
$50 600 600 or less.
Rep.-Do you consider Gould formidable an
tagonist from business standpoint?
Mackey.-No. / do not. He is the worst
hated and most Overrated man in New York
He has frightened the life out of heavy business
men. and they think he can crush them out if he
chooses. This is all humbug. CAPITAL is not so
powerful as people think. When a man has
Kept his business as constant menace to the
public and acted as the bully instead of the
friend to his patrons, it takes very little to
knock him out. provided you give his patrons
Opposition lines have not succeeded because
| the people feared that they would sell out to
Gould and so you see they do not dare patron
iZe the new line for tear that after the CONSOLE
crack on the prices higher than ever.
This new line has the confidence of
the public because it is not looked upon as a
sell-Out proposition. Some lines started out in
SUOu ldtIl, Out TIC dlOOl until Cnoy
had to sell or fall. We are not in the field for
anything except to give the public cheap
/, telegraphy, and we expect to sustain friendly
relations with our patrons. upon whom we
depend for our returns. l think the time is
drawing near when capitalists will not feel that
they must war with the public to make money.
i hold that the better you please your patrons
the more money you can make. Instead of
watering the stock and sailing down profits,
extend your business and cheaper your rates.
This is the true principle. We will fight Gould
on fair business principles, and we will look for
public patronage when we show the public what
can be done with wire and electricity.
Rep.-When will you come to this coast?
Mackey.-Not at present. We have all we
can attend to now, and probably will be two
years getting our lines laid. We will work
west, however as fast as we can.
kep.-Of course you will give the press cheap
rates?
Mackey.-Most assuredly; we will give them
rates that will astOnsh the publishers. who have
been in the habit of passing twO-thirds of their
earnings over to the Western Union. cannot
say what rates. as that part Of the business has
not as yet been given much consideration. We
Just now want to build our lines. We will
underbd any rival company On press dis
patches if we have to furnish them free.