Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-22
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
A POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The Plan Adopted By The
Committee.
TILDEN AND THE STAR ROUTES
More From The Records of
Bliss.
CANADA STANDS FOR HER RIGHTS
And Wants Satisfaction for
r. American Invasion.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

Postal Telegraphy-The Plan Adopted by
the House Subcommittee PrOvfstOns
OF the Measure.
WASHINGTON, March 2l.-The sub-com-
mittee of the Senate Committee on Post
Offices and Post Roads, to whom was referred
the various bills providing for the establish
ment of system of postal telegraphy. has
agreed upon bill,,which will be submitted to
the full committee for action at its meeting
early next week. The measure is entitled ''A
bill to promote the rapid transmission of cor
respondence by the establishment of postal
telegraph system" 1t authorizes the Post
master General to establish telegraph offices
at all postofices on telegrsphie circuits and at
other postofices within ten miles of any cir
cult where the salary of any postmaster is
not less than $500 per annum, as well as such
other places as In his Judgment the wants of
ths public may require. The bill creates the
Office of fourth assistant postmaster general
and his duties are to exercise supervision of
the entire system. The charges for the
transmission of kilograms are to be prepaid
by telegram stamps or by postal telegraph
cards and the maximum rates for kilograms
Oh GW0uGy WOEuS OE loSS dCc u Oo Ms 1OlAO"S.
When the distance of transmission is one
thousand miles or under, twenty cents; over
one thousand miles and under two thousand
miles, forty cents; for all greater
distances, fifty cents; for kilograms
directed to be transmitted by night
under two thousand miles, fifteen
cents; for greater distances, twenty
five cents All words shall be counted and
for every five additional words or less one
fifth additional rate shall be charged. The
bill fixes the following charges for the trans
mission of special kilograms to newspapers
and commercial news associations: Each
100 words or less for each circuit of one
thousand miles shall not exceed fifty cents
If sent at night and 81 during the day, but
when copies of the same telegram are
dropped off at one or more offices the rate for
each office shall not exceed fifty cents at
night and seventy-five cents during the
day and at the same pro rata for each word
in excess. Where special kilograms are de-
ivered al the same Office for two or more
newspapers ten cents additional for each one
hundred words or less for manifolding for
each newspaper receiving the same. Pro-
vision is also made for the issuance of postal
telegraph cards of different denominations,
which may be deposited in letter boxes to be
dispatched from central Offices, and
for the transmission of postal money
orders. In order to furnish facilities
to put the proposed system in operation
the Postmaster General is directed to adver-
tise for three months in two of the daily
newspapers in each of the cities of Washing
ton, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York,
Boston, Chicago and st. Louis for sealed pro
possls from any telegraph company or COM
panies now or hereafter incorporated for the
transmission of correspondence by telegraph
according to the provisions of the bill and to
contract with the lowest responsible bidder
or bidders to perform in whole or in part the
telegraphic service or services at or within
the maximum rates before mentioned, the
contract or contracts to be entered for the
term of ten years terminable at the option of
Congress.
The bill allows contracting companies to
establish and maintain telegraph offices in
addition to those contemplated by the bill.
The Postmaster General is also directed to
advertise for sealed proposals either to sell
existing telegraph lines and franchises to the
government or to construct four trunk lines
for the government so located as to connect
the northeastern, northwestern, western and
southwestern and southern ports of the
United States with the city of Washington,
and to report such proposals as are deemed
fair and reasonable to Congress at its next
SESSION TOT 1GS dcGlOn LII tno 0FeAG Oh no
organized telegraph company offering
to contract for the performance of
the service contemplated by this BILL
and in case no satisfactory propo.
sitiou either to sell existing line or lines or
contract for the construction of new ones for
the government being submitted on or before
the 25th day of November next, then these
four trunk lines above mentioned are to be
built and telegraph Offices established at
such cities and towns as shall be for ths pub
lie interest for the time being, these lines to
be extended from time to time and telegraph
offices established and increased as Congress
may direct Two million dollars is appropri-
ated by the bill for this purpose
and is made available during the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1885.
The rates to be charged under this system
are to be from time to time established by a
board consisting of the Secretary of State,
Secretary of the Treasury and the Postmas-
tel General The working and operation of
these trunk lines and subsequent e1tensiona
are to be under the charge of the Postmaster
General and part of the postofice estao-
ishment of the United States. The last Sec
ton of the bill provides THAT nothing in
this act shall be construed to prohibit indi-
viduals or corporations from carry ing on the
business of operating telegraph lines,''
The trunk line feature of the report ems
braces the prov isions of the bill introduced
and supported before the committee by SEN
ator Edmunds. Senator Hill, chairman of
the committee, says that while he will sup
port the bill agreed to by the sub committee,
he would much prefer q measure providing
for the immediate establishment of an indie
pendent postal telegraph system.