New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-08
THE TELEGRAPH PROBLEM.
vp rvARrs BEFORE A SENATE COMMITTEE
.no,,vrxrs AGAINST THE ESTABLISHMENT VI
posTAr TELEGRAPH SYSTEM.

.no,,vrxrs AGAINST THE ESTABLISHMENT Vi
POSTAL TELEGRAPH SYSTEM. ~
WASHINGTON, Feb. THE Hon. W llllan Nv. -n'
rvarts Representing the Western Union Aeee
nanv made an argument before the senate ~ enc
u. oeE.as ana POST Roads to-day in oploeluoh 70 %
.s,ah,,shment'of postal telegraph sys1en' " .,s
,ns, the three bills before the conmi''ee n -
90 a.. ,reseatng all that was thoueh Wise y. 49,,
NE "a he accomplished IN the public interest
civ diverse in their provisions Ihey con
-, - Toa,,,rs I'm eommon-they were all tentative
-. .o1,,a The promoters Of either wculd aaini' 'nA'
,bsre was 10 be developed In the attempt 10 SET 'ne ~
xvo,k difficulties that could not no" DC ioioss' ~
.,h- ,onorrow, become law, the proolem Oh 0V'eln
-, c,rol Of the telegraph would not be solved he
.nt, he was justified IN saying that neither measure
I,oot TO provide for the long interim OF time thSt
t e,,,se before there Government service ana
an that time there situation which discouraged Inc
,riste svstens. How was the telegraph business W "
orforned az ali during that intermi Inc eohciusVh
, ne thought be reached that the Government must
mus, en- ,nv urietary Intervention in the business
"a TIM, ia effort TO governing the telegraph by law; OF
le when II is ready. undertake to Work the uuil
- erosen service without hours interruption
so that the system might 20 en- and with the mystery anu
,optrol changed into the public administration
FEATURES OF THE EDMUNDs BILL
,., fo,arce =, the Edmunds bIn said it provided
Cor a Governmental system without disturbing
the pryae lines authorized the Government 10 V~A
natents and everything but lines 10 the susseS',o"'
WHY not buy the lines, you take everything else i
Eduunds had said there WAS no tribunal lHa' NC 800
,t IN do ,ustioe between the United States on tue QUO
hnd and the Western Union the other Weu II Justice
could NOT be dome did it follow that Injustice suou We
aoue9 He would agree that the price woula 10 la s,,
fixed on the principles Of Justice than II woud Us
Uere xed on the principles OF force n&ed uPO" ~ M
tact property that sought to De preserves" III ~
nuhrc use without break than 1t would De II Tue pro
- xy,s N bo shattered and depressed until tue rag
nent ONLY renamed be valued By force the property
,ght he repressed until 1t was so low that some o
might he safely left deal with IT, Even MI huun'
,hught that ultimately the President AM his Cabinet
advisors might trusted 10 fix price upon inc re
nant-p
A MONoPOLY SECURED BY LAW
ma Davis bill he said it created monopoly secuIed
bvls Besides its exclusive franchises III the oc'uis
ton and use OF public property at conlPNi'''' .V
mammal sum- It was have the right ana the power W
aggregate into its possession ana Tor us prom '1o
business of teegrapbng 1t was TO be hmeu Z" % po 90
& a. rs sock and alter It's earnings were % go 10
the increase Of ats properly or ne o lad the western
iInol n the feature OF monopoly than TINS Ant eNty
mPos vas ber to be stricken down. This company OF
favored names with 100000 in cash IN i;s uii an '5
,ase ,roDertv given IL by this legislaton-in te
ne of the POST Office systen-s let loose upon InS lu
terest it per cent ncoae It's ihue1o p, g"t
i'm nj greater earnings to enlarged capital 10 gcV
I'' ''"' A GRADUAL ENFORCEMENT.
with rsspect to Senator HIS bill, be sad it was
Gradual encroachment upon ;he telegraph interests nHe
tba anersachent Of TIE bear upon the Mupchausen l.
aatted that o. least exqultabe arrangement should
no aee With the telegraph interests II the Government
nterferei In aJer at all II ga not taAe ny orc
Mr. Evarts argued That the Government uaet no "a t
eunont domain IN the 81 teS Inc va o@c u'u no. w
cner tine r1gn, to say that citizen held MS properly AZ
To hiph d price and the Government u-bl tht 0'ol
take ID al valuation established by arod,'"3. II C'
acquire property for GOverhIleA' On'iy ~ H. H. ~
CT, seut OF the States. The power 10 carry lt ntlS ~
rail coach had never been eNlf' , , Ircro AZ
and
fs service. When the service was enlthge req ny W
Crasping power OF railroads power had 1eeH -il.n we
Government regulate the matter. IHe 5 it vi
Dr,vaie contracts for the forwarding OF ndVeuu co"-
cauous he delivered at the noipepl OF receipt
under penalties fer delay and Fl'SuOh % ''N'i"'' wa
10 part OF the postal system 100 - ,,,,,o,,,t
There was analogy between our system OF appos,ac
,,ent IN office and those Of foreign Governments The
latter were originally the of power, and me
people had gradually acquired certain -dg 10
BY insisting upon 5aet' vond he Complicated
with minor political cOunses as TO whether ehaAge
OF the telegraph operator was FOR the COCA OF the Les
bOrbOOd or Of the party.
INTERESTS To Be CONSIDERED.
In establishing governmental system there were in
terests 10 be NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and maintenance
In Illustration Of the ability Of the Government III the
matter OF construction referred to the Naval Depart
,nput He believed that by concurrence between the
scussio in Congress and public opinion II was admit
teS that our Navy had been built down 10 Tue iter
I. was sysero in when accum llated and men De
cayed Again the Custom House al chicago was SUI ul
finished, although since II was begun inc ciy nu
burned down and rebuilt around II by private enterprise
When IL came 10 administration II the GONer9hcnt 6CC
uay carried on telegraph the people would not nave
the least confidence IN Il Private INES Wo9lu oe M
on iIortant routes where contract could re made ana
reconrse eoula be had 70 damages for violation. -,
hd In adyoracy governmental control OF the telegraph
system. Messrs Garrett anc Bates o the bailiurV anu
ONO Tt legraph Company TO he heard on saturday
and me committee will then proceed TO determine the
character OF its report TO the senate.