The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-10

How these deficits made upl In the case of a
private corporation they would be made up by
stock At any rate the public would not bear the
burden. When the government is IN control and re-
sponsible for the operation of the lines, the deficit
must be made up with taxes levied upon and gathered
from the masses of the people
Is such taxation justified the ground that it is
public benefit The answer TO this question viii be
best found in the answer to another, namely: Who
90 sns OF the unit nnd some the
last annual report. of the president of
During the ysar 1857 AZ 45o messages wers
sent within the limits of the United States and the
whole Of these messages were sent by less than
whole Of the teegraphing done the United States is
done by less than per cent. of the population.
Even these figures not significant when thus
broadly stated "a when they come TO be examined in
detail OF all the messages transmitted, it is stated
in memorial OF pr Norvin Green, president of the
Western Union Telegraph Company, submitted to
Congress at it's present session, not moro than
such as the great masses OF the people are interested
newspapers and the remaining messages. more than
IS of the whole, in connection with
commercial and speculative business. large part
of this is done By comparatively few big operators
and spectators in the great commercial centers The
nsxt largest patrons of the telegraph stock
gamblers. pool men, buc ket-shop propretors those
interested In horseraces. boatracing baseball games.
These figures make it plain that to cheaper teleg-
raphy by reducing the price below cos. and making
up the deficit by taxation, means to tax 80 per cent
of the people who the telegraph for the
benefit of SPECTATORS stock brokers' gamblers. pool
men, bucket-shop proprietors and sporting gen.
orally who send 81 per cent of the entire Der of
messages transmitted by telegraph in this country.
Not only is this unjustifable grounds of public
policy, but it is unjustable also purely business
grounds. The men who send these messages make
no complaint of the cost. 1t comes part of the
legitimate and necessary expenses Of their business
They make profit out of it. In fact they would
sneerfuly pay twenty five cents more for each mes
sage IL they could thereby shorten the time Of
uniting them and of receiving
1t appears, therefore. that the only persons who
would be materially benefited by reduction in tele-
graph rates through control of the tele
graph have not asked for reduction, do not want it,
and would prefer to pay higher rate for better
service. The only considerable body of who
asking for i are the Knights of Labor. one in
hundred of whom the telegraph. These
misguided persons simply asking the government
20 tax them for the benefit of class of people
wards whom they irrevocably hostile that
them.
These are the considerations which, il seems to
me, should determine against the scheme OF gov
ernment telegraph ON grounds connected with the
public welfare. From the stand POINT Of practical
Newspaper men there arguments against IL which,
70 my mind. are so convincing and conclusive that
find II difficult to understand how any intelligent
journalist can be found among its advocates.
In the first place. the newspapers of the United