Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-02-11
lancaster .9ntelligenccr.
The Postai Telegraph Project.

The Postal Telegraph ProJect,
The Senate postofllce committee Is
considering the question Of establishing
a telepraphic postal service, and is said
To be strongly inclined to the notion of
the advisability Of the scheme. Mr..
r. ebert Garrett, Of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad, with Mr.. d. IL. Bates,
the superintendent Of his company's
lines, were before the Senate
committee on Saturday, and very frank
talk was had on telegraphic matters.
Mr.. Garrett said that the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad company was putting into
execution Its purpose to extend its tele-
graph lines 30 as to communicate
with every important place In
the country that 1t was doing
80 because II saw great prohS In
the telegraph business, and believed that
now was an exceptionally good time to
extend Its system Of lines. As they
already had a telegraph organization and
plant, the additional cost OF extending
their service would be comparatively
small. Before going any farther In their
enterprise, however, they desired to
know what the United States proposed
doing In regard to establishing a postal
telegraph system. Mr.. Garrett assured
the committee that the telegraph line his
company would build would always
rem ain u der itscontrol.
In answer to pointed questions from
senators as to what guarantee he could
give them that his lines would not be
sold out eventually to the Western Union,
upon Its offer to pay for them four or
FIVE times their cost, Mr.. Garrett said
that he would give any guarantee at all
that the committee could devise that
he thought the record which the Balti-
more and Ohio had made of It's opposis
tion to any such surrender Of It's business
was a valuable guarantee in itself he
said that the directors of his company
believed that there was greater profit
In store for them in giving the public {
good service than they could reap by
selling out their business at any price
He asked the committee whether they
were aware Of the profits that lurk
ed in the telegraph business ; and told
them that his telegraph company had
already leased sufficient number OF
wires between Chicago and New York,
at $4,000 year to pay four per cent.
interest upon the entire estimated cost
of the proposed extension Of their lines
over the country, three millions Of dol
lars; they were therefore assured in
advance of the interest upon theil
whole investment from this small part
of their enterprise. Mr.. Garrett further
said that bis company would be disposed
to accept rate OF charges that would
be fixed by Congress upon the recon
mendation of q commission Of person!
acquainted with the business.
Mr.. Bates in his testimony said that
formerly the right Of way for a telegraph
line had been cheaply obtained, but that
now 1t had become a matter of serlou:
difficulty. 1t was no longer possible t
go through cities OF any size without
paying heavily for the privilege, anC
railroad companies were very exacting II
their demands. In answer to the inqsir,
as TO why lines could not be built alon
railroads, Just outside Of their right G
way, the witness said that the contract
Of the railroad with the telegraph con
panies already established generally PR
vided that they would not deliver pole
or materials to any other telegraph con
pany along their lines.
The Senate committee was probabl
as much enlightened and refreshed b
all this testimony as the public will bt
1t is apparent from 1t that the Wester
Union company's monopoly is at an en-
and that that dog has had its day. A
Mr.. Garrett said, " the day OF combina
tion is over" Whether the United State
establish postal telegraph or no
cheap telegraphy Is our coming .booI
1t will be cheap because 1t can be afforC
ed cheap by private enterprise. The ST
ductive rate of telegraphic profits, how
ever, will be likely to confirm the Senai
committee In its disposition to recon
mend public telegraph service. Thel
is no reason why the postoffice depart
ment should not put telegraph and tel,
phone instruments in all the postoflict
in the country. The theory upon whic
the government furnishes mail facil
ties will sustain it in affOrding telegrap
facilities, and II ought TO be able to d
this service cheaper than any one els,
It will be at no additional expense fC
Office rent, light, heat or attendance
save the skilled labor additionally need
cd. The postofiice seems to be tn
proper place for the telegraph and tell
phone office, aud we can imagine Il
reason against the scheme, save III
danger that the government will be lie
to buy out the existing lines at price
greater than their intrinsic value
If 1t enters into the business, the govern
ment should build its own lines II It cal
not buy those already laid, at less cos
The government should pay nothing Il
rights Of way, which naturally belong
1t nor anything for the good will OF Il
present companies, for such good will
Of no value to 1t. 1t should enter int
the business on the cheapest basis and
opposition to the existing lines, II the
are disposed to maintain such oppos
tion.