The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-03-10
Warrington Whispers.

WASHINGTON, March 9.-There was a
full attendance at a meeting of the House
committee on postoffice and post roads
THIS morning, called TO begin the in.
vestlgation ordered by the House, of
certain matters embodied in a resolution
a. follows: That the committee on
postoffices and post roads is hereby en-
powered TO ascertain whether additional
legislation Is. needed to prevent the
monopoly of telegraph facilities and to
secure the southern, western and Pacific
states the benefits of the competition
between the telegraph companies, and
70 protect the people of the United
States against unreasonable charges
for telegraph service.
Mr.. Anderson was present and ad
dressed the COMMITTEES briefly in ex-
pia1atlon OF his purpose in offering the
r. luton. His general reasons, he
SAID, was an organic opposition to
monopoly of any sort, but specifically in
his instance his motive was 10 lie
uud in the state of affairs ext ting be
tween the Missouri River and Pacific
O;ean region, comprising one-half or
two-thirds of the area OF the Unite
States. The state he had the honor IN
part TO represent (Kansas) was part of
This region, and together with
he remaining seven states and
organized Territories, was interested in
the matter OF cheap telegraphy. 1t was
also vitality interested in preventing
such monopoly of telegraphing as
would deprive its people and the press
OF the advantage and safeguard of com
petitiye facilities for obtaining news. 1t
would be shown to the committee that
i'll the charters of all land grants to rail-
ways, they are required to operate their
telegraph lines precisely as they oEer-
ate their rails; next, that they have
fgally but substantially transferred
the telegraph franchises TO the West
ern Union Company; consequently,
when rival telegraph company
reaches the eastern terminus of one of
these roads, instead of receiving from
that company without discrimin-
alton. its business, they refuse
to do SO, or at least substan-
TALLY refuse to comply with this
obligation of their charters. In other
words, the Western Union, so far as
that whole area is concerned, now
having population OF 5000, 900 people,
mas practically a monopoly and ii is
carrying it to such an extent as to
show tendency TO claim. in addition
to the recognized right of common
carrier, right also to gather and sell
the news of the day on its own account
If the committee would inquire into
this branch OF the subject, it would
find that the collection and sale of cleo
ton news and such important matters
as the Presidents message are sought
to be monopolized by the Western
Union Company, in some instances,
and that barefaced attempts have been
made by the Western Union Company
to coerce newspapers into making
exclusive contracts to trar sact all
their business by its wires. The COM
mittee would see at once how snch at
tempts and assumptions threatened the
liberty of press in the region which was
subjected to this monopoly. 1t is be-
cause of that fact, and because of other
matters upon which he would ask
to be heard at later date, that he |
had introduced this resolution.
Mr.. ]. 81. Bates, president of the Bur-
lington and Ohio Telegraph Company |
was then sworn and examined. He fur |
nished full information and details of |
his connections with full efforts OF the
Burlington and Ohio Telegraph Com |
pdLy " AofC AIo
by the land grant railways in |
the same manner and upon the same |
terms as telegraph business from other
telegraph companies, and particularly |
from the Western Union, had been, or |
might be accepted. He said that the |
adoption OF bill such as was proposed |
by Representative Anderson would |
July meet the requirements of the case. |
The closing reception at the White |
House tonight, given in honor of Con-
sress, and to which the Judiciary, army |
and navy and diplomatic corps were in
7iTed, was the most numerously at
ended of the season, and in the mag
lifcence Of costumes and jewels worn
oy the ladies eclipsed any of its prede
,essors. The President was assisted in
receiving by Miss Cleyeland, Mrs. Man,
hing, Mrs. Endicott, Mrs. Whitney and