The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-01-21
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
1t is Considered in the Senate
Committee.
PRESIDENT NoRvIN GREEN,
OF the Western Union. Makes an Ad-
drrss A Government Tsle-
graph-yiews of Others
Government Telegraph.

Sawyer, chairman of the Senate post
Office committee, called his committee
to order at II o'clock this morning, and
DR.. Noryen Green, president of the
Western Union, addressed the commit
tee in opposition to the government
telegraph bills. He devoted himself
first, though briefly. to the constitu-
tional questions to which the measure
gave rise. He quoted decision of the
Supreme Court in effect that telegraph
BUSINESS is itself commerce He
tou chedsa upon this constitutional
point, he said, merely because he did
not wish the committee To understand
the company waived it, He claimed
that no people on the earth enjoyed as
perfect system of telegraph as Amer
leans. Green then compared the tele-
graph systems of England and the
United States, and asserted that long |
distance rates of the Western Union
were. cheaper than any long distanced
rate in the world. He said the Western |
Union enjoyed no, exclusive franchises |
or legislative grants, and that the field |
was open TO anyone who might choose |
to enter it. He said rates would be re
duced during the present year. He said
the Western Union had % pay from
500 900 to 5000 900 year for. mistakes.
If the government did run the tele-
graph system, 1t must take the existing
lines. No private enterprise could |
run q against the treasury of 80 the
United States, setting e out to do |
business for nothing He wished to say
concerning the Western Union that its
value, as stated by the press, would not
buy the wire at the factory, and the
company other equipments amounted
to three or four times the value OF the
wire. He stated that the property of
the Western Union could not possibly
be duplicated to-day for its eapitalizal
ton. II am told" the Doctor contin-
ued, that petition bearing 100000
signatures Is to be sent to the commit
tee in favor of a government system.
They will come by command; original
ing IN spite, against one nan With whom
POwderly had quarrel. and not LOCO
men VINO will sign have ever seen q
telegraph message. 9.tlt' -i>-f
Ii the government did run tele-
graph system, it must buy up the ex-
listing lines. No private enterprise could
run in competition against the United
States treasury. Would the govern
ment be responsible for delays and er-
rors. he asked. No. 1t was the popu-lI
lar belief that the company's system
was owned by one man. The company's
directorate was composed of thirty
men. The millionaires of the country
have less than three eighths OF the
stock. Over 10000 people in all were
interested in this property. Lam told,
he continued, that petition bearing
100000 signatures, is to be sent to this
committee in favor of a government |
system. They will come by command
originated in spite against one man
with whom Mr.. Powderly had a qnarrel. |
Not one in a hundred of the signers
ever used the telegraph, yet they were
asking to be taxed for the benefit OF
rich brokers, bankers, merchants COM
meTcial operators and spectators.
DIR Green said he had prepared petit
ton of remOnstrance to Congress, which
it was intended by courtesy of the mem
bers to get before the House, and he
would no longer detain the COMMITTEES
I Gardner G.. Hubbard addressed the
committee in favor Of the postal tele-
graph system, proposed in the bill
introduced by Senator Dawes. He
gave it as his opinion that OF the
$86000,0 600 capital stock of the Western
Union Company, about So, 100000 or |
$40. 900 600 had been paid in cash by |
stockholders, and probably as much |
more by stockholders of other tele-
graph companies, which had become
bankrupt and had been bought up by |
the Western Union, and that the rest |
of it had been taken from the public in
the shape of telegraph tolls. 1t was |
true that the present value of |
the property was very large. He
did not believe it possible to duplicate
its GOO 600 miles of wire for less than |
$50, 600 600. Over and above this value |
of property were other large values. |
He had always regarded its right OF
way over the railroads of the country
as being nearly as valuable as other
franchises of the company. There was
then this great monopoly. with |
capital of $50. 000. 600, nearly thrs e.
eighths, of which was held by the di-
rectors of the company. They. there
fore had virtually monopoly, since |
wluld be utterly impossible, at any
stockholders meeting, to obtain "a |
controlling vote of the stock held |
by the directors themselves. Dr.. I
Green corrected this statement, and |
said at the stockholders meeting three |
fourths of the stock was frequently I
represented. Hubbard said in this /
country there was practically no COM |
ECbtbiOh III bhO ItiOBi oPh buoihSoos oa0
'there could be none, for it was bQsi-
ness which could be managed more
easily and chesply by one company
than by number. But the question
arose whether government could not
manage it more cheaply than the West
-ern Union, and whether the Western
Onion itself, could not manage it much
more cheaply than it'dces. This ques-
gtion should be answered in the affrma
tive. Hubbard then gave his, we'll
known views on the subject OF the
postal telegraph, at great length,
Dc. Green was followed by EGardi-
ner g., .Hubb .rd, who spoke
over an hour in favor Of the establish
ment Of government system of ltele-d
graph. The committee adjourned in
definitely at the conclusions of Hub
bard's remarks IIaaJi T1Ssd nylsl
SICK headache is res,,, ured by
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