The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-05-11
49, .ssTeRN UNION.

Or. Coryin Green Gives the House Con.
ns.ttee Ills Ideas Ne to the Difference He.
tween the Powers and the flights Of the
Government
WAsHiS eIoN, May 3-Dr. Norvn Greer
president OF the Western Union Telegraph
Company. appeared before the House Com
mittee on Post-offces to present some facts
upon the suffice. of the telegraph system
Of the COUNTRY. He first addressed him.
self to the Hopkins bill to establish pos
| tai telegraph. Such an enactment, he
SAID would be q monstrous wrong. The
rights OF property were entirely ignored.
The act OF 1896, to aid in the con-
struction and maintenance of telegNphs,
provided that, il the Government should
establish postal telegraph sys-
TEN, it would take the property of the COM
panies accepting the provisions OF the act
at valuation 10 be ascertained by FIVE
persons. Under the provisions Of that act
four-ifths of the telegraph properties Of
the country had been created and estab-
llshed believing and relying On the good
faith Of the Government. Having accepted
the act the telegraph companies hac per-
formed their part Of the compact faith
fully. and that performance had saved
the Government more than million
I
had been about $3.50, coo year, and the
rates established by the Postmaster-Gen-
eral had been about half The usual
rates Of commercial messages. The Gov.
ernmeIt business required instant trans
mission at the busiest hour Of the Gay to
tie Ge:riment OF toe commercial business
Therefore the most exact.ng service the
Western Union was called upon to rer-
form was done at a loss. If the Govern
ment had right to establish telegraph.
if it had right to maintain a commercial
telegraph business among the States. Il
certainly had the right, not b. the power
OF eminent domain but bv agreement, TO
take the property. In all fairness if the
Government contemplated n telegraph
business the only proper way TO Go SO was
to take the existing property and pay
for il.
a vindictive impulse, DR.. Green declared,
was about the last thing which should
govern delberative body, yet the bill un-
der consideration had the appearance OF
being dictated by q vindictive Impulse.
The power Of the Government and the
right Of the Government were not the
same. The Government might have the
power 10 build telegraphs and 10 declare
that any person doing . telegraph business
would be a violator of the law, out it had a
right 10 co only what was right. He asked
if it was right to contiScate all existing
properties which had ben built up under
the provisions Of the act of 1866 The Gov
eminent did not need a telegraph. 1t would
no; beneti: the Government HIS remarks
were not made vita a vIe" TO selling the
Western Uricn TO the Government. as the
Western Union did not Wan; 10 sell. but its
purchase was the only proper basis on
which the Government could 20 into the
telegraph business.
Dr.. Green next turned his q tention &c
the pending Interstate telegraph bills, and
re eatet the Sane criticisms upon them
which he had made Def re the Senate CON-
mittee. Ee was parIlcu arly bitter il his
reference 70 the dragnet subrpnas which
had compelled the production of g, eat files
Of messages. He referred to The action CT
the United States Senate Committee in.
vestigating he Haves-Tiiden election. and
declared that he hoped never 10 see such
another outrage. He thought that Congress
should pass u law On the subject.