The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-03
THE TELEGRAPHS.
If the Government Goes Into the Business
Existing Lines Should Be Purchased.

If the Government Goes Into the Business
Existing Lines Should Be Purchased.
WASHINGTON, May 2-Dr. Norvin Green,
president of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany. appeared before the House committee on
postofices, to present some facts upon the sub
ject of the telseraphic system Of the country.
He first addressed himself to the Hopkins bill
to establish postal telegraph. Such an enact
ment would be, be said, q monstrous wrong.
The rights of property were entirely ignored.
The act of 1866 TO aid in the construction and
maintenance of telegrarhs provided that if the
government should establish postal telegraph
system 1t would take the property Of the compa-
MES acceptn the provisions Of the act at a
valuation to be ascertainsd by FIVE persons.
Under the provisions of that act, four-ffths Of
tho telegraphic properties Of the coutry had
been created and established, believing and
ment Having accepted the act, tels-
graphic companies bad performed their part Of
the compact faithfully. and that performance
had saved the government more than ST. 600. 900.
The business of the government had been about
500, 600 year, and the rates established by the
Postmaster-eeneral had been abou. half the US
ual rates Of commercial message. The govern
ment business required instant transmission ut
the busiest hours of the day. to the dstriment of
the commercial business. Therefore, the 20 ost
exacting service the Western Union company
was icallsd upon to perform was done at a loss.
If the government had . right to establish . tel
eRraph, if il had right to maintain CONNER
cial telegraph business among the States. 1t Ger
tainly had the right. not by the power of emi-
nent domain, but by agreements, to take the
property. In all fairness, Il the government
contemplated q telegraph business. was there
any proper way to do but to take the existing
property and pay for itl vindictive impulse
deliberativs body. yet the bill under
consideration had the appearance of be-
ing dictated by q vindictive impulse.
The power Of the government and the right OF
the government were not the same. The gov
eminent might have the power TO build tele-
graphs and to declare that any person doing q
telegraph business would be q vioator OF the
law; but it had a right to do only what was
right. Was IL right to confscate all existing
properties which had been built up under the
provisions of the act Of 1867 When the tele-
egraph business had become grand success it
was assumed that the government might build q
telegraph line. bsnefting by the experiences Of
the Western Union Telegraph Company. aud
build it at low rate, and attach Q penalty for
anybody else to do . telegraph business. That
would be q monstreus wrong. The government
did not need telegraph. 1t would not benefit
the government His remarks We're net made
government. The Western Union Company did
not want to sell; but its purchase was the only
proper basis on which the government could 90
into the telegraph business 1t should take all ex-
listing properties and do the business exclusively.
1.-THE government built telegraph in composition
with existing telegraphs. ito deficits would be
great. He stated that the time the b. & o.
telegraph Company was doing twenty word
business between Chicago and New York for
twenty-five cents, and the Mutual Union com
pauy (belonGiug To the Weateru IJniou1 Raa
competing at the same rates, the Western Union
company, charging fifty cents for tea words, was
doing sevsn-sighths Of the business Time was
OF more Importance to the customer than the
saving of few cents in the cost of the message.
So that . government telegraph, managed in the
ordinary manner in which it usually managed
its business, run in composition with existing
teegraphs, no matter how low ire rates, il 1t did
the business for nothing, would get very small
share of the business. Still, it would not be
right for the government to do It. The govern
ment had unlimited capital and could afford 10
do business at loss It was not right to com
pei the people who had made Investments on the
faith of the government to meet competition of
that character. The antaeonism to the Western
Union was founded on the supposed monopoly
sive privileges. The elementary patents ia
teleeraphy had expired. Anybody could go into
the telegraph business They had done so. and
were still doing
DR.. Green next turned his attention to the
pending interstate telegraph bills and repeat
cd the same criticisms upon them which he had
made before the Senate committee He was
particularly bitter in his reference to the drag
net subpenas which had compelled the produc-
ton of great files OF messages. He referred to
the action of the United States Senate commit
tee investig ating the Hayes-Tildsu election, and
declared that he hoped never to live to see such
another outrage. He thought that Congress
should pass law upon the subject.