Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-09-08
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POST : NTELLIGENCER
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= sr1eng TuaT " ulL Vet stGCtEs.
And nov il il erzyeiy alleged that TIE
ssntiz,eps which 10 RAPIDLY growing
throucbous the country IN favor OF a
Government postal telegraph 10 one OF
Jaw Gouid's pets; that be Is using every
sFort 20 encourage it and hopes to reap
immense profit by the project This Is
prsdicased upon an assumption tns' the
GoyerpwsEt will find il impranticaois
"a buiId lines Of il own and thus De
eompslled 20 bay up those nos bniif'
eouipped and In operation The aieeeo
.sn.,.~ IL outlined by Wall street
contributor 20 the Nev York SEA, sno
.vovs that il is the sznartesf that Gould
ever conceived, and furthermore tn2s
the prsss Of the country, which since
thu deuorsIix.tio of the service Al
s.ndsnt and resulting from ths Late
s.rike. has largely come TO favor Gov
erumsus telegraph, has fallen into the
tran and IN sitsineiy . playing ID 0
The hands of Mr. Gould IL - alleged
in support Of this. that il wou'd take ne
G,vernmsns ten years 70 bald 10000
miles Of poles and wires, and that m the
...cnd pa.ss the Government could mot
make issslf q party 10 . conhsoasaoo
scheme by placing isself in eomPefii'on
With private OF corporate enterp' ises
Because of these tvc things IL Is as
sume.d that the only way 70 establish
Goverrnent system would be 10 bay out
all existing and operating lines, and a.
the wexssra Union is nov tEeos4iy c"fr-
p,ese system il must purchase that
Gsuld's scheme htre comes In. IL i-
stated that be intends TO offer TO gave up
Ia the Government the whole OF the
Western Union property, IN reinrn fof
which the stockholders are TO receive I'D
money or bonds the entire surplus earn
ines for twenty years 70 come THIS
vould give the Government possession
Of property valued at $so.0o!W' iva
tered. for nothing, while on the other
hand, a. the net earnings of the Western
Union are about 100000 per an
uum the stockholders would re-
csivs in twenty years about
Sis0,00,OO for property which
could not be sold In the market today
for one third Of that sum. The preoe-
dent for this scheme Is said to be found
in similar arrangement made a few
years sinoe by the British Government.
There is Just one thing which absc-
iussly condemns and viii defeat the al
legged scheme. Under its provisions tie
present charges for messages must IL
adopted and sustained for twenty years
OF course this must b in the stipulation
else there would be no induce
msut 10 ell, because by reducing
the charge for messages TO the cost
os service there would be no surplus
earnings 10 give stockholders in ex-
change for their property, Bot the de-
mand for Government telegraph ser
vice Il mainly based upon the fact that
rates are much too high; that they are
graded % an TO insure vast surplus
earning which 10 distributed in divi-
dends on vatered stock; that the CAPT.
talixation Of the Western Unions prof.
cry II 800 PER cent. more than it has
cost or In worth. and that to pay large
dividends upon this vast amount of
stock the public ia forced to submit TO
grossly exorbitant charges. Any pro-
position which provides for the contin-
uanoe for twenty years Of snch rates
will 90 70 the vail. The Government
dos not want telegraph line for the
purposs Of making money. 1t does not
run its postal department upon that
theory. II aims simply to make i self
sustaining. Ibis would be the theory
upon which telegraph line would be
bailt and operated. II would be most
soandalous thing to make the Govern
meut simply an agent 10 collect exorbi-
tant tolls for Jay Gould Il Co. for tween
y yean 20 cosoe, to the amount Of Sl5o.-
10000. simply that at the end Of that
time Il may cosne into possession Of
e0,00o,00O worth Of wires and poles
A 10 the matter OF Government com
pysisioa with private " corporate co.
tssprise. There II m doabs that a. .
esueral rule il il impol;tic and unjust.
Bat thsrs sre cases In which public con
vsaienee. and ve may add. safety. over
ride private or corporase privileges.
Ehss exeeptsous ouiy serve 10 snpha-
aiss ths rulA Fcs Instance, { ~ govern
Dsas f0snd that . cheap nn6 safe
1sthod cf transmitting gnaa snms Of
Dae<y v0nad be . pntase convenirDce
sDonsfing aiD.xs 10 . necessity. The
rsxzls vzs thu institution u tie Money
Oedss sysscm- To he Snre this directiy
tnasehsd upn the tsuxinrss II both Ex-
pHu1 Companses and Bankers. tie form
- Il whom vouid otherwise have had
ssan - cursncy 20 transport for hire,
ana ~ iHxs<x vould have sold checks
fw transniasise by snxsi OF Otherwise
hui she snperi~ corsenienne or rscss-
si<sss ~ ~ bsdy II tie people eus-
vsighsd tAe inserrssx Of psrsi~xlnr
dan md Tie Gowernmens without ask
tax y@srmiasaon sdopssd the syxter. On
- sHzps rrinnapis. N ae,ordxace with
. like cos~euirncs or necessity. and for
- 0ms parpusst the evvernmsns has
saosrtaksn - carry packages Il eoods.
0mdhandiae. &C.. &c. 10 the anoans
- four pounds' vraxhs In il mail
ppsnheN- This directly and in large DE-
gnss ir.exfsrsd and ceupctea with the
Exrsvs Cumpxnssss and hss forord .
vary vsicume r~dnstsun of rates IN the
sxsnsu0sta1im 81 small packages AL
ossr TIN esasL Yea M esyecsi hSvi
has hssn rAiasd, thai the Government
ws running private business By conn.,
paikina-
An Sdentieal state Of Affairs should