Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-01-27

WAsHrHoroHs ID. O. January 1S.-Befors
t me natlonaI board Of trade, to-day, the pos
tai telegraph question was discussed.
MIR. i. B. Ihurber, Of New York. smoke in
favor OF the post1fics departun snt as-uuliD0g
charge OF t6legraphlc communication He
read a letter from kaney B. Murray secre-
tary OF the London chamber Of commerce,
replying 70 certain questions previously
submitted by Mr.. Ihurbsr. One of the
guest ons submitted and ats answer is the
Question-Would the government be vii
hing 20 have ths tel5graphs go pack into the
hands Of private companies?
AnsWer-Ihs OvsrW hsIming, in fact al
most unanimous feeling would be in Opposi-
uon 70 the return to private management.
Mr. IburbsE added that the friends Of a
postal telegraph in this country contend
that the transmission OF intelligence is q
government function; that electricity IS the
most Important means Of doing sOi that
telegraph1e service has been extended to a
large number Of places IN England which
would not have enjoyed It's benefits II the
telegraphs had remained in private hands,
that the service has been greatly improved
Is more Efficient than IN this country, and
a great deal cheaper; that when the
telegraphs were taken hold Of by the
government the uniform charge Of
shilling for twenty words to any distance
resulted IN an enormous increase IN the use
OF the telegraph; that large additions to
plants have been made and paid for out of
the current receipts, and if the tslegraphs
bonds issued for their purchase if they had
been credited with these better
ments aud with the tree service
TO the government departments they would
have been able to show a credit sufficient to
pay the interest on the bonds; and If they
we're credited with the increased service
given the public beyond what the private
com anies were giving at the time the t5le-
graphs were taken over 1t would show an
enormous balance on the credit side; that
private companies would never have tried
the experiment Of a reduction ia rates hrst
to a shilling for twenty words, and subs6-
qusntly to a six pence for twelve words
Erastus Wyman, of New York spoke IN
opposition to government control He said
that in the British pOstofdc5 report of 1887,
the table of receipts and expenses for the
year 1851 TO 1867 inclusive shows a stead
lily increasing deficit amounting during the
last fiscal year to over S2s5OO,OOO. To meet
this loss the whole population are taxed to
afford a cheap telegraph service to the very
small percentage OF the population that veer
use il. The telegraph Is essentially the ad-
lunCt Of commerce and 1t Is estimated that
not more than 2 per cent Of the
entire population uss the telegraph in any
one year andin the United States not over
b per cent of the revenues Of the telegraph is
derived from family and social messages.
About per cent is derived from news ser
vice and the remainder, about 81 per cent,
is commercial and speculative, the greater
part being the latter. A large portion of
this speculative business Is for 'buCket
shops" and pool rooms where chances are
sold on races a thousand miles away. Is
1t fit and proper that the whole
people should be taxed to tighten the
expenses Of 2 per cent of the population
leaving out tn6 press service which IS rem
dered here for less compensation than IN
Great Britain. the whole number of mes
sages is about 20 COCOON This Is an average
of tWO-thlrds OF a message to eacn 1uhabl-
tant. AS to the quality OF the service, all
persons of any experience with European
HgHa 1Hnh
service on government tel6gEaphs as gen
orally bad with no accountability or redress
for even the most hagrant negligence. 1t Is
more especially tardy and uncertain in
delivery when the message passes over
two or more systems Of government
telegraph, and the rate Of tolls for
mess ages passing from one country
to another is always greater than
for like distances in this country OF the
1900 telegraph Offices or stations main
tanned IN the United States, more than
three-quart6r5 are operated by railroad
companies, who are obliged to maintain
stations for railroad service, otherwise they
could not be maintained except
at a great loss. Are these all to come into
government employ # the British bsle-
graph system IN use N a compact and
circumscribsd area in a thoroughly clear
country of dense population, and with its
low salaries made deficit of s., So, 600 q
year, a government telegraph In the United
States, with four times its length OF lines
]
maintain, covering an area OF country
twenty times as great, with larger sala-
I ries, handling only about the same number
/ Of messages, and adopting the British rate
I of tariff, would possibly make q deficit OF
/ $4,000, OOt per anuum. If the rightful de-
maud of tax payers should require the lines
I TO be brauched and extended and telegraph
| stations at every pOstOfhce, the outlay for the
/ plant would run up 10 nearly SO, 700, 600, anC
I the deficits upon its operation would be still
| greater ana more mulUIGuaiuCus
! There are in the neighborhOod Of 55,0O(
! postOmces at which telegraph stations would
l be needed. Each station would require al
! operator, and at the larger commercial cen
l tres from 800 TO 800 employees, with ten x
I thirty at each of the intern 6diats towns anC
I cities. So that the aggregate appOintee
| would soon exceed 100000 or duplicst,
| in number the present sppOnt
/ ees under the administration o.
/ the neral government, all of whom
/ would presumably feel bound to work IN thu
] interest Of their immediate employers.
/ would be the longest stride ever made by ont
/ act towards the Capitalization of power anC
l a significant step in the dirsc ion of social
I ism and the theory Of parental government
] After further discussion ths fol OWN o re5
/ oiutiOn was adopted:
] Resolved, That the usefulness Of the post
] Office department should be extended IN tn
I direction OF telegrBphic cOmmunlcat on ant
/ We urge upon congress the earliest favurabl
/ consideration OF this question
]