National Republican., 1884-03-20
CHEAP COMMUNICATION.
The Postal Telegraph Company Tenders It's
Services to the Government
Upon Conditions the Gist or Which Is
Herewith Presented.

Mr.. George d. Roberts, representing tho
Postal Telegraph company, appeared before
subcommittee of the senate committee on
postoflices and postroads yesterday and sub
mitted n proposition in tho form of bill
directing tho postmaster general TO enter into
contract with the Postal Telegraph COM
pany, tho conditions Of which may be sum-
married as follows:
The corporation shall stipulate to transmit
by telegraph, with proper skill and diligence,
all messages which may be delivered to it for
that purpose by tho postoliicc department be.
tween the cities of Now York, Philadelphia
Baltimore, Washington, Pittsburg, Buffalo,
Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago, Peoria, Spring
field, Ill., aud st. Louis. Within one year
connection shall be established with Harris
burg Pittsburg, Wheeling Columbus, Gin
cnnati, and Indianapolis within two years
with Louisville, Nashville, Memphis, New
Orleans Galveston, st. Paul, Minneapolis,
Kansas City, Omaha, and all other cities
upon the lines of its wires between
any of tho above-named places Mt which q
system of postal delivery shall be established
by the government. Within five years from
the date of the contract the entire territory
east Of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers
and south of Omaha and Minneapolis shall
be brought into communication, and within
seven years the lines shall be extended TO
and over the Pacific coast and the interme-
diate states and territories. The corporation
shall stipulate to keep its lines in good re-
pair, provide competent operators, and all
equipments necessary for efficiently per-
forming tho service and shall receive mes
sages from the postal authorities at the places
of origin and deliver them TO the postal au-
thorities at the places of destruction. At or
before the execution of the contract the cor
poration shall file in the postoilice depart
ment bond, in proper form and adequate in
amount to be approved by the postmaster
general, conditioned for the faithful per-
formance by it of all its stipulations in the
said contract,
On behalf Of the United States IL shall be
stipulated that the government shall furnish,
without charge to the telegraphy company, u
suitable room or rooms for the office, en-
ployes instruments, batteries, and other ap-
pliances necessary for the transaction of its
business under the contract, and shall also
provide the said company with the necessary
rights and facilities for connecting its lines
with such postal telegraph offices. 1t shall
further be stipulated that compensation to
the telegraph company for its services shall
be made as follows: For each message of
twenty words or less, exclusive of date ad-
dress and signature, transmitted in the
ordinary course of business between any of
the places in the United States lying
east of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers
and south of Omaha aud Minneapolis, %
cents aud 10 cents for each additional ten
words; and for each message directed to be
vansmitted at night and delivered the follow
ing morning 10 cents il of twenty words or
less, and 10 cents for each additional ten
words or less in excess OF twenty words, eS-
cept that between the cities Of New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington,
and such other points separated by short
ipta In frnYn ina 20 tft,,n oil
upon, the ordinary services shall be paid for
at the rate of 10 cents for each message of
twenty words or less as aforesaid, and 10 cents
for each ten words or less in excess of twenty
words, the payments to be made monthly, as
hereinafter provided.
The same local rate is fixed between any
points in the western or Pacific division, but
for all messages transmitted from any point
in the Atlantic division to any point in the
Pacific division the compensation shall be
fixed at so cents for each message Of
twenty words or less aud 90. cents
for each additional ten words or less
for ordinary services and for night service
at 25 cents for each message of twenty words
or less and 10 cents for each additional ten
words or less. Upon all the tariff rates above
specified there shall be u deduction of .
cents, or the local rate of postage, ii less than
2 cents, on each message, as compensation to
the government for delivery. The contract
The postmaster general shall provide tele-
gram stamps and stamped paper to be sold as
postage stamps are now sold, of denominations
corresponding to the several tariff rates
Upon every telegram delivered by authority
of the government to the telegraph company
the proper stamp for full payment, including
delivery, shall be affixed by the sender of the
message.
The telegraph company shall transmit telc-
grams in the order in which they are re-
ceived, except night messages. The Postal
Telegraph and Cable company shall havo the
right to construct telegraph lines on all postal
routes, and all telegraph lines operated under
the provisions of tho act are established as
post routes.
In submitting his proposition Mr.. Roberts
described the improved system of which his
company were making use. He claimed that
the ''seXtuplex," now for the. first time in use,
and the improved compound were greatly
lessening tho resistance as compared with any
equal length of iron wire, enabled his com
pany TO transact its business more cheaply
than any other company could. In reply to
inquiries he said that the company proposed
to do other telegraph business than that
offered by the government There was, he
said, class of business between the COM
mercal exchanges of large cities which nc
system of government telegraph could prop
erly handle. The company would deal
directly with the sender and receiver when
the latter desired The advantage to the
public to result from tho acceptance of the
cOmpany's proposition would be in the fact
that low rates to which all companies must
conform, would be secured. If any company
offered lower rates his company would meet
them.