The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-03
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
DR.. Noryin Green Delivers An
other Strong Argument
AGAINST THE PROPOSITION.
He Says the Government Cannot
Successfully Compete with Er.
iSting Lines-It Could Not
Meet the Requirements.

WASHINGTON, D. O., May 2.-Dr. Nor
win Green, President of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, appeared be.
fore the House Committee on Postoffices
to present some facts upon the subject
Of the telegraphic system ofthc country.
He first addressed himself to the Hon.
kins bill to establish postal telegraph.
Such an enactment would be, he said,
a monstrous wrong. The rights OF pro.
perty were entirely ignored. The act of
Of 1866 to aid in the construction and
maintenance of telegraph provided that
il the government should establish
a postal telegraph system it would
take the property OF the com.
panies accepting the provisions OF
the act at valuation TO be ascertained
by five persons. Under the provisions
Of that act four-ifths Of the telegraph
property OF the country had been Gre
ated and established, believing and rely-
ing on the good faith OF the Govern
ment. Having accepted the act, the
telegraph companies had performed their
part OF the compact faithfully, rnd that
performance had saved the Government
more than a million dollars. The busi-
ness Of the Government had been about
500, 900 year and the rates est tlblished
by the Postmaster General had
been about half the usual rates
OF commercial messages. The Gov
ernment business required instant
transmission at the busiest hours Of the
day. To the detriment OF the CONNER
cial business, therefore, the most exact
ing service the Western Union Company
was called upon to perform was done
at loss. In all fairness, il the Govern
ment contemplated telegraph business,
was there any proper way TO do but to
take the existing property and pay for
it? A vindictive impulse was about
the last thing which should govern n
deliberatiye body; yet the bill under
consideration had the appearance OF be-
ing dictated by vindictive impulse.
The power OF the Government and right
OF the Government were not the same.
The Government might have the
power TO build tclegraphs and
declare that any person doing
telegraph business would be violator
OF the law, but it had right TO do only
what was right. Was it right to confis-
cate all existing properties which had
been built up under the provisions OF
the act OF 1865? When the telegraph
business had become grand success, it
was assumed that the Government
might build telegraph line, beneiitting
by the experience OF the Western Union
company, and build at low rate and
attach penalty for anybody else TO do
n telegraph business. The Government
did not need telegraph. II would not
benefit the Government.
His remarks were not made with
view to selling the Western Union TO the
Government. The Western Union Com
pany did not want to sell; but its pur-
chase was the onlyproper basis on which
the Government could 90 into the tele-
graph business. II should take all ex'
listing properties and do the business
exclusively. II the Government built
telegraph in competition with exist
ing telegraphs, its deficits would be
great. He stated that at the time the
Baltimore & Ohio Telegraph Company
was doing twenty word business be-
tween New York and Chicago for twen-
ty-iive cents, and the Mutual Union Com
pany, belonging to the Western UniOn)
was competing at the same rates, the
Western Union Company charging so
cents for ten words, was doing seven
eighths 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 tele-
graph, managed in the ordinary manner
in which it usually managed its business,
run in competition with existing tele.
graphs, no matter how low its rates, II it
did the business for nothing, would get
a very small share OF the business.