The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-17
JAY COULD'S MONOPOLY.
HOW THE WESTERN UNION ST.
CURED CONTROL OF
The Telegraph Service IN the West
President NOrTin Green's
Testimony.

WASHINGTON, March l6.-The House
/ Postotiice Committee to day heard
/ President Norvin Green of the West
I ern Union Telegraph Company upon
the alleged monopoly of the tele-
graphic facilities OF the Pacific rail
roads. He said that when the Pacific
roads We're built the charters CON
tanned provisions allowing the Over
land Pacific, the California State and
the United States telegraph companies
| 10 reconstruct or remove their lines,
and it was also stipulated that the
/ roads might contract with the tele-
| graph companies and authorize them
to establish telegraph 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 COM
panies. The United States Company,
as absorbed by the Western Union,
had included the United States Tele-
graph Company, the Independent
Telegraph Company, the United States
Extension Telegraph Company, the
Inland Telegraph Company and the
Inland Extension Telegraph Com
pany. Therefore, the Western Union
wires ran over the Pacific roadsnot by
the company's consent but by its
right under the acts 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
1t. Their superintendent, Mr.. Dickey,
was in the room, and had told him
Or. Greene) that the railroad COM
panies were always ready TO take any
message offered by competing com
pany. The company, he said, that
figured largest in this investigation
had not a wire within 400 miles of the
Pacific roads. The whole object of
this attack was the Western Union
Company, that had raised the money
and built the overland wires in time
OF war when nobody else would un-
dertake it.
MIR Dougherty said it had been COM
planned that the Western Union dis
eliminated against other companies;
that 1t was monopoly.
DIR. Green replied that that was a
question of law, and the Western
Union had nothing to do with it. The
railroads were at liberty to take any
body's business. If kthe yopposition
companies took business for points
they did not reach, and transferred
that business to the Western Union,
necessitating two rates, the Western
Union charged them for the second
date, They did that in the case of in
dividuals as well. In the matter of
rates, the Western Union did not pro-
pose to allow those opposition com
panies that did the tenth of |
the telegraph business to con-
troll the price of the other
nine-tenths. He would say frankly
that the Western Union had put up
the Mutual Union to compete with |
the opposition companies in cheap |
rates, but it was a remarkable fact |
that the public was not so anxious for
cheap service as for good service.
The Western Union now regretted
that it had not allowed the postal
telegraph bill to pass few years ago,
because it would have been like the
rest-it would have done no business.
AT this point the hearing was post
poned until tomorrow.