Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-03-19
President Green Speaks in De
fense Of the Western Union
Telegraph Company.
The Secretary of the Interior
Renders an Important Pub
lie Land Decision.
The Proceedings of the Com
mittees-NOminatiOns and
Appointments.

The Alleged Telegraph Monopoly.
PRES. GREEN BEFORE THE COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON, March 16. The house
postothce committee to-day beard
President Norvin Green, of the West
ern Union Telegraph company upon
the alleged monopoly of telegraphic
facilities of the Pacific railroads. He
said that when the Pacific roads were
built, the charters contained provisions
allowing the Overland Pacific. the
California State and the United States
Telegraph companies to reconstruct
or remove their lines, and it was also
stipulated that the roads might con
tract with the telegraph companies
and authorize them to establish tele-
graph lines for public accommodation
and the use of the roads in lieu of
their own lines. The Western Union
now included the Overland Pacific,
the California State, and the United
States Telegraph companies. The
United States company as absorbed
By the Western Union company,
had included the United States Tele-
graph company, Independent Tele-
egraph company, United States Ex-
tension Telegraph Company, Inland
Telegraph company and Island Ex-
tension Telegraph company There
fore, the Western Union wires ran
over the Pacific roads, not by the
companies consent, but by its right
under an act OF congress. There was
no doubt that the Pacific railroads
were bound to take messages from all
companies, nor was there any doubt
that they were prepared to do it.
Their superinte ndent, Mr.. Dickey,
was in the room and had told him
| Or. Green) that the railroad
companies were always ready
to take any message Of
fered by the competing lines. The
company, he said, that figured larg-
est in this investigation, had not a
wire within 400 miles of the Pacific
roads. The whole object of this at
tack was against the Westera Union,
company that had raised money
and built overland wires in time OF
war, when nobody else would under
take it. Mr.. Dougherty said it had
been complained that the Western
Union Disseminated against other
companies; that it was monopoly.
DR.. Green replied that that was
a question of law, and the Western
Union had nothing to do with 1t.
The railroads were at liberty to take
any ybody's business. If opposition
companies took business for points
they did not reach and transferred
that business to the Western Union
necessitatiag two dates, the Western
Union charged them FOR the second
date. They did that in case of indi-
viduals as we'll. In the matter of
rates, the Western Union did not
propose to allow these opposition com.
panies that did one tenth the tele,
graph business to control the price oi
the other nine-tenths.
He would say finally that
the Western Union had put up
the Mutual Union to compete with the
opposition companies in cheep rates
but it was a remarkable fact that the
public was not SO anxious for cheaI
service as for good service. The
Western Union now regretted that il
had not allowed the postal telegraph
system to pass a few years ago, because
it would have bccn like the rest-i
would have done no business. A
this point hearing was postponed unit
tomorrow.