Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-02-01
TELEGRAPH TALK.
Interesting Statement by the President
Ofthe Western Unlon-The Ser
vice Mt Home and AbrOnJ.


Washington, January 3l.-Dr. Nor
vim Green, president Of the w. IT, Tele-
graph Co. addressed the senate commit
tee on postoffices and post-roads in OPP
position TO the proposed government
control OF the telegraph. He said I'M
less there il something defective In
the service rendered there st emed to
he no reason why the government
should take hold of he telegraph.
He maintained that we had telegraph
facilities In IA larger proportion to pop
ulation and better and cheaper SER
vice than any country of Europe. He
explained the apparently cheaper
rates of Europe by saying that there II
message was counted once In every
country throughout which il passed,
while In this country it was counted
but once. Press matter, moreover, was
dropped at many points in the
United States and delivered rs many
messages, while only the one copy filed
was counted thirty words being count
ed as a message. One of the senators
asked further explanation. He thought
the statement an extraordinary one,
and referred TO the rates in France as
being only twenty cents for twenty
words within the limits OF that coun-
try, and IN average Of half u cent
word in other European countries. He
cited the rates from France to Algiers,
1900 miles, which was only twenty
cents for twenty words,
He replied that the Algiers line was
operated at loss. Their employees
were hired for much cheaper rate,
and then even the service was done nj
a loss. No company could send twenty
words for twenty cents without lose.
A new tariff WAS in progress OF pre-
paration To go into effect the first OF
March, giving maximum rate OF one
dollar, for which sum message could |
be sent $500 miles from Halifax to
ferrIng 10 the press contracts, said he |
would furnish the committee with a
COPY Of the contract with the Associa-
ted Press. 1t containedf he said, a
clause that no cheaper rates should be
made with any other association |
without giving the Associated |
Press the advantage Of the reduction.
Some papers complained because the
Western Union could not transmit |
them news ut the same rates as their /
were receiving IL from the
Associated Press. II was manifest the
papers could get cheaper work done
by an association, and that the West
ern Union company could not trans
NIT press dispatches to single papers al
as low rate as IL could carry dis
patches 10 an association. Dispatches
from Washington TO New Orleans, for
were dropped at sixteen diff
fereDt points along the line. A careful
estimate of the cost Of press work per.
formed by the Western Union showed
an average OF 81 cents per 100 words.
Referring to the talk about the ac-
wealth in the hands
of individuals and corporations. DIR.
Green said he had bec,m satisfied that
the great power Of England consisted
In the wealth of her citizens. Much
of this capital was invested abroad,
and about el60. 900 900 sterling derived
from it, much Of II going from this
country. In his earl, manhood there
was not man In this country pos.
sessed of million dollars. In those
days, our own men OF wealth were in
vesling in American securities and
property, and the revenues therefrom
were expended at home. 1t would be
better, to be sure, II this wealth was
more evenly distributed. Everybody
knew that the Western ra'iroads
had been built ten years In advance OF
the necessity by this excess or capital
With reference to the capitalization OF
the Western Union Co., no said u