The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-01-27
GOVERNMENT WIRES.

acknowledgements For and Against
the scheme.
WASHINGTON, Jan. Goat the meeting
yesterday OF the National Board of Trade
postal Telegraphy" was the first subject
taken up f. B. Thurber, of New York,
spoke in favor of the POST Office Depart
ment assuming charge of Geographic COM
munication. He read letter from Kenric
B. Murray, secretary of the London Cham
Der of Commerce, replying to certain ques-
| tions previously submitted by Mr.. Thurber.
Mr.. Murray says that the result of the
purchase and operation of the teiegraphs
by the British Government has been sue
cessful as far as service is concerned, but
not financially to the rost-office, and that
public opinion is now in favor of their
taking over and working the cables to
Europe, the monopolysof which is now ex-
| piring. The general belief is that the
quickness, certainty and secrecy of
the services have improved under
the post-office He says the in
crease of employees in the post-otfice
department. has been productive of
| no political evils worthy of note; consider
ing the magnitude of the service, number
| ing 81, 500 persons regularly employed
and about az, 600 persons irregularly en-
ployed, it is exceptionally free from 'polit-
| ical evils" Tie Post-ofice Department.
have in their employ eminent electricians
and engineers who introduce improve
ments annually, or adopt outside inven-
tons when thought desirable. The induce
ment is probably not so great
to invent" as when the tele-
graphs were in private hands. The
recent reduction in the price of kilograms
to six pence for twelve words has undoubt-
edly been of great benefit to the public. The
number of messages exclusive Of railway,
press, official and foreign kilograms, which
are not affected by the reduced rate and
number some 100000, dispatched in
1SS6-'S7 was 40, 1877, It's, compared with
30,0S7, 500 in 1856 The revenue in
1867 was e1,354, $40, against 91,-
277, 606 in 1856 The number of mes.
sages thus shows an increase of 33 per
cent, while the revenue only increased by
6 per cent In conclusion, Mr.. Murray says
that the overwhelming, in fact, almost
unanimous, feeling would be in opposition
to the return of the telegraph lines to pri-
vate management 5e
Mr. Thurbar added that the friends of the
postal telegraph in this country contend
that the transmission of intelligence is
the most important means of dong so;
that the British service has been extended
| to a large number of places which would
not have enjoyed its benefits if the tele-
| graphs had remained in private hands;
that the service has been greatly i'm
| proved, is more efficient than in this cOun-
| try, and great deal cheaper; that when
| the telegraphs were taken hold of by the
| Government the uniform charge of shil-
ling for twenty words to any distance re-
| suited in an enormous increase in the use
of the telegraph; that large additions to
the plant have been made and paid for out
of the current receipts, and if the tele-
| graphs have not each year paid the interest
on the bonds issued for their purchase, if
/ they had been credited with these better
ments, and with the free service to the Gov
eminent Department, they would have been
able to show credit sufficient to pay the
interest on the bonds, and if they were cred
tied with the increased service given the
public beyond what the private COM
/ panies were giving at the time the
| telegraphs were taken over, it would now
show an enormous balance on the credit
| side; that private companies would never
have tried the experiment of reduction in
rates first to one shilling for twenty words
and subsequently to SIX pence for twelve
words
Mr.. Erastus Wiman, Of New York, spoke
in opposition to Government control. In
substance he spoke as follows:
He said that in the British post-offce report
Of 1887 the table of receipts and expenses for
the years 1881 to 1867, inclusive, shows
steadily increasing deficit, amounting during
the last fiscal year to over 81, 100000. To meet
who nj on &c faya To
afford q cheap telegraph service TO the
very small percentage of the peo-
pie that ever. use it. The telegraph is
essentially the adjunct of commerce, and
it is estimated that not more than IS per cent.
of the populace ever use it, and in the United
States not over per cent. of the revenues OF
the telegraphs is derived from family and So
cial messages. About s per cent. is derived
from news service and the remainder about 81
per cent, is commercial and speculative the
greater. part being the latter
Is it fit and proper, he asked, that the whole
people should be taxed to tighten the expenses
of per cent. of the population? Aside from the
press services, the whole number of messages
is about 100000, an average Of two-thirds of a
message to each inhabtant. AS to quality Of the
service, all persons of any experience in Eu-
ropean countries unite in recording the service
on Government TELEGRAPH generally bad,
with no accountability redress for even the
most fragrant negligence. 1t is more especially
tardy and uncertain in delivery when the mes
sage passes over two or more systems of Gov
eminent telegraphs, and the rate Of tolls for
messages passing from one country to another
is always greater than for like distances in this
country.
OF the 1900 telegraph offices in the United
States more than three fourths are operated by
railroad companies, which are obliged to main
ctafiOnG
wise they could not be maintained eX-
cept at loss. Are these all to come into Gov
eminent employ? If the British telegraphic
system made deficit of S2,390,000 year, a
Government telegraph in The United States
with four times its length Of lines and three
and half the length Of wires to maintain, COW
ering an area of country twenty times as great,
and with larger salaries handling only about
the same number of messages. and adopting
the British rate of tariff, would probably make
a deficiency of $40, 100000 per annun.
II the rightful demands of taxpayers should
require the lines to be branched and extended
and telegraph stations opened at every post
office, the outlay for the plant would run up to
nearly 500 100000 and the deficit upon its
operation be still greater. The aggregate ap-
pointees would soon exceed 10000, or dupli-
cate in number the present appointees under
the administration of the general Government,
all Of whom would presumably feel bound to
work in the interest of their immediate employ
ers. 1t would be the longest stride ever made
by one act toward Capitalization of power and
significant step in the direction of socialism
and the theory of parental government.
After further discussion the following
resolution YVES adopted:
."ResoL0ed, That the usefulness OF the Post
Office Department should be extended in the
direction of telegraphic communication. and
we urge upon Congress the earliest favorable
consideration of this question
Hewitt for President.