Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-23
A FINAL DEATH.
Continued from First Page.

publican minority persist In refusing TO
vote, it is doubtful whether g quorum
can be St cured, end the indications ere
that several days will elapse before tie
matter is fnally settled.
Mr.. wilkins is earnestly desirous Of
further consideration for bis
national bank bill Yeas and nays have
been ordered upon its eDgrosfmtnt :nd
third reading, and rs fate depends upon
the success Of Mr.. wilkins efforts 20
reach an agreement With its oppore nts.
A pension approximation bill has al
ready been reported, and the appropria-
tons committee will endesvor to have it
considered before the erd OF the week.
NORvIN GREEN ON GOVERNMENT TELE-
GRAPHS.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 90 DIR. Norvin
Green, president Of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, addressed the Sen
ate postoftice committee in opposition to
the government telegraph bills. He
quoted the decision Of the Suprem me court
ia feet that the telegraph is neces
sf.Ty to commerce, aud that the
telegraph business is Itself commerce..
Was tho government, hc asked, eEn
powered by the constitution to enter into
Interstate commerce7 He touched upon
this constitutional point, be said, merely
because lie did not wish the committee to
understand the country wanted it. No
people on earth, he maintained, en-
ioyed as perfect 3 system OF telegraph as
the Americans, IS any person who had
experience with telegraphs abroad would
testify. He then read a letter from
james Mclean, agent of sthe Associated
~, T y-hi p
vas as follows: The telegrap1ic COIN
munication between france and
England is disgracetuly bad. It is
an actual fact that London
merchants send their messages TO Havre
by way OF New York, and they reach
Hsvre quicker than if they we're sent
from London to Havre direct" This
fact DR.. Green said was corroborated by
kno wledge which came to the company
through transaction Of their own bust
ness.
Dr.. Gteen then compared the telegraph
System of England and the United States
and said that the long Distance rates Of
the Western UnioG were cheaper than
any other long distance rate IN the world.
He then took up and denied the charge
that the Western Union was monopoly
He said it enjoyed no exclusive franchise
or Legislative grants, and that the field
was open to any body who might chose
TO enter it. He said the Western Union
was no more monCp- ly than any great
commercial business.
In regard 20 the charge that rates
would be raised during the present year,
be said that on the contrary rates would
be reduced. The speaker aald that the
great opponent CT the Western Union was
time, and that all its struggles were 10
overcome it. Would the government DE re-
sponslble for delays ard errors? he asked.
No government system ever YVES. The
Western Union had TO pay from $I00, 600
to 100000 year for It's MISTAKES. He
believed that the DIT ficit Of the govern
meat system ns suggested III the Cullom
bill would be from SIS 600, 900 20 $40. 000,-
coo per yeSr. II the government did iun
a telegraph system it must take the
existing lines. No private enterprise
could run sgalnst the national treasury,
setting out to do business for nothing.
lie wanted 10 say fer the Western
Uai0n that It's value as stated by the
press would rot buv wire st the factory,
and the compGny's other equipments
value Of The wire. The property OF the
Western UaiGa could not possibly be
duplicated to-day tor its capitalization.
There was g popular belief that the COM
pany vas owned by one man. The COM
paDy's directorate was composed OF
thirty men. Millionsires of the country
had lees than three-eighths Of the stock.
Over 20, GOO people in all are interested
IN this property.
az am told" Re continued, "that q Pc
tition bearing 500, 900 signatures is to be
sent TO this committee IN favor Of q
government system. They will come by
3 command originating in spite against
one man with whom Mr.. Powderly had C
quarrel, and not 1000 men who will sign
nave ever seen the telegraph message"
DIR. Green has prepared 6 petition which
be hoped the members of the committee
would lay before the Senate and have
printed.
IN FAVOR OF THE SYSTEM,
Gardner 6. Hubbard addressed the
committee in favor of the postal telegraph
system proposed nthe bill introduced by
Senator Dawes. This wss, he said, a
plan which he had advocated for msny
years before this committee. He gave IL
IS his opinion that Of the $S6 O0O,C OF
capital stock OF the Western Union Tele-
graph Company, about eight or ten mil
lion had been paid in cash by stcckhold
eTs and probably as much more by
Of other telegraph companies
U hich had become bankrupt and had then
oeeD bought up by the Western UOion and
hat the rest of 1t had been taken from
the public in the shape OF telegraph tolls.
It was trus, as DR.. Green hsd told tie
that the present value OF
Western Union property was very
arge. He did not believe it !
would be possible to duplicate
ts 100000 miles of wires for less than
300, 600 q mile, which would amount to
$50. OCo 600 Over and above this value
If property were other large values. He
lad always regarded its right of wsy over
he rsilrosds of the country IS bang
lesrly as valuable as the other franchises
II The company. There was then this |
great monopoly with 8 capital of
$50 0o0 o0o, nearly tbree eiehths of
which Cor about S27, 900, 000) was held Be
D.. Green had told tue committee by the
directors OF the company. Tie directors,
therefore, had virtually monopoly and
the whole business, since Is
would be utterly Impossible at any stock
lolder's meeting to Ootsin controlling
'ote ov, the stock held by the directors
DR.. Green corrected that statement, |