Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-21
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
ARGUMENT PRO AND CON. BEFORE THE
SENATE c0MMIrrEE.
President Norvin Green. OF the Western
Union, Speaks in Opposition to the Meas
ure-He Explains Popular Errors, &c.


BY telegraph TO tho Dispatch.
WASHINGTON, January 20. The Senate
Committee on Post-Ofices to-day heard
arguments upon the Government tele-
graph question 10y Mcssrs. Norvin
Green, president Of the Western Union
COMPANY. and g. G. Hubbard, who has
devoted some years 90 advocating the
postal-telogTaph scheme. DIR. Green
was first heard IN opposition 20 the gov
Uumutsi telegraph bills which have
come before both houses Of Congress.
Fc devoted himself first, though briefly,
g. Pee constitutional questions to which
the measure give rise. He quoted the
decision of the supreme Court In effect
That telegraph is necessary 10 com
norco had that the telegraph business
l~lu l'>olt commerce. Was the Govern
ueui. hcaskcd. empowered 10y the Con-
stItuticn % enter into Interstate com
mucc lie touched upon tins constl-
tutounl point. hc said. merely because
ic oid not wish the committee 10 under
stand that tine company waived 1t, hut
without attempting to elaborate ut as
lawyers would. No people ON earth. he
maintained enjoyed az perfect system
OF telegraph ns Americans. as any per
son who had had experience with tele-
graphs alr01i Vonld testify; nor rs
clrap when account is taken Of dis
t8nc.s. bic showed that the English
rt. of - cents for twelve words
iucludue date address, and signature,
would In 81 yer, large number of eases.
if applicd to messages sent in the United
Sfai's. amount H. more than the
tYeuty five cent rate CHARGED hv his
complnv Nh, addresses and signature
I'm InoIi.h messages being very much
shorter "a rple. The British system
lad 21. Son milo, Of lines carrying l73.-
cnO miles OF wire, and cable covering
au entire area M the United Kingdom
of 19t coo sauare miles. aud the
most distant Office, were separated
from each other 10y less than 600
miles. IL had GOA public tclcQra}h
offices. The salaries OF operators and
other employees average about one bali
those paid iu this country. Tins system
does a business of 50,2l},G $50 messages
per onuum. Now. to handle a business
of about three million more messages IN
F" " 100 '"' ''i' ''l'N ''i''' ', '"' N'' 80
S''i's nave ! 'o,OVl mics oil IiHI carr l''s
C1.Nll miles Of wire and cables,
maintaining 1000 Offices. end covering
a1 1r,atvcuty-ilyo times as great as that
oi The British system. AS 10 long-dis
t.ucc rntos there wa, no part of the
world iu which messages were handled
o. clelp.y dis here. fine maximum rate
a. 20 for maximum distance of from
f,.'| 10 H'Ip iA'''s Us cheaper ''I"u any
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