Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-12
IT DOESN'T PAY IT'S WAY.
THE TROUBLE WITH A NATIONAL
POSTAL TELEGRAPH SYSTEM.

England Loses Money on 1t Every Year
Little Prospect for the Scheme This
Congress CArlisio's Friends Coming on
with a Rush--HsIe on Civil Service Re-
6orm--Aiattsrs OF Varied Interest
WASHINGTON CRY, Jan. l2-The pros
poets of the enactment Of any bill relative TO
the postal telegraph are not very favorable.
Senator Cullom, who In the author OF one OF
the most practical bills upon the subject, says
that he does not now expect that any legisla-
ton which will be satisfactory will be had in
this congress- The most ardent friends Of
the postal telegraph measure favored the APP
pointment Of a special com mittee in the SEN
ate That movement was defeated, and the
whole subject was referred to the postoffice
committee OF which Sawyer, of Wisconsin,
Is chairman. The latter committee has just
reported adversely upon the resolution to
create a special committee, and is now said
TO DO about to undertake an investigation
Of Its own. But from all that can be ascer-
tained IL Is not the intention of the committee
TO make any very searching or thorough in
vestigation Sawyer is understood TO favor
definite scheme which has been discussed in
former congresses, which may be called the
contract system. He proposes that the tele-
ktdDn DNlSlutoo silhll pc uOHc lOf thp kbNcih~
ment and the people upon the same plan, so
far as it is practicable, as that on which
mails on star routes are now carried He
would invite proposals for the transa ction OF
the telegraph business by the government,
and although no information has yet been
obtained as to the details of this scheme, it is
TO be assumed that the contract would be
let to the lowest bidder AS to the general
literature on the subject Of postal teegraphs,
Ii Is the opinion of some members of
this committee that congress has already col
lected practically all the arguments availa-
bic, and this information has been printed in
different reports at various times. The prob
ability is that these reports will be collected
and permission asked to have them reprinted.
One of the documents upon which the oppo-
nents Of the postal telegraph much rely is
the latest report of the British postofice de-
partment, one or two copies ouly of which
have reached Washington. The figures show
that the telegraph service of that country
has been constant expense to the COVER
ment from the outset. There is no one in
congress that seems to be so earnest a friend OF
the postal telegraph system as to be ready to
advocate any measure which would be an
additional burden to the government. No
bill would be likely to receive serious consid-
Grafton which would propose to materially
add to the national expenditure. 1t seems
probable that no postal telegraph bill is
likely to become law in the Fiftieth con-
gress. One of the most earnest friends of
the postal telegraph said Wednesday: II
don't think that public opinion is yet ready
for postal telegraph system in this country.
Possibly the only practicable way would be
to take existing lines, and practical teleg-
raphers say that these lines could be dupli-
Gated at very much less than the present
holders of the watered stock consider them
WORTH