The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-07-30


shows the average cost to the company
OF handling messages to bG 23,2 cent
per message. II the Government bust
ness does not pay something more thar
this average, then II must be done at
loss, for the messages, in order to yield
such an average, must be considerably
above the averatie length Of business
messages about II words); and u Is q
very exaGting service, having precedenCe
over all other business, and requiring
prompt and often long distance messen'
ger deliveries, or rewriting, in some
cases, 10 deliver by special wires.
These exhibits demonstrate that the
rate as fixed for the past year Is 0 great
injustice to the telegraph companies
and not on fair business basis OF living
profits awarded to railroad companies
and other corporations for services rem
iered, The rates ought, therefore, to
be increased rather than diminished,
BY the present rate the Government
ia saving q large sum,probably y ,0O0, 900
annpally,iby the reduced cost ot its tele-
graph service below what other patrons
have to pay, and that saving Is neCes-
sarily made up from other customers,
In all Justice and fair dealing the exist
Ing rate should, therefore, be Increased.
10 do the Government service for
nothing, necessarily imposes heavier
burden on the people who sustain tho
telegraph. II the railroads had TO haul
the mails for nothing they would have
to collect more from other service to
sustain the expense OF operations and
pay q moderate return for capital em'
ployed. The Government Is able to
pay, and every business consideration
demands that i shall pay, a fair and rea.
sonable consideration for whatever SER
vice 1t may require
RATES NAMED FOR THE ENSUING YEAR,
As to the rates named for the ensuing
fiscal year In your official circular TO the
telegraph companies OF June Goth ult,
which you say twill be one mill word
irrespective OF distance for all messages
Il have TO say that 1t would not relm-
buss what this company has to pay for
the clerical services In receiving, count.
ing, checking, routing, numbering and
booking the message before its trans.
mission and for the operators who
would handleit on long distances
This company transmitted during the
last fiscal year 81, ,40S, ,O55 messages. The
cost ior messenger service was, in round
numbers, Sl,l20,000, making the average
cost OF delivery per message about 9 10
cents, although q large number Of mes
sages to the floor OF exchanges, To news.
papers and by special wire deliveries
did not require the use OF messen.
ger. In fact, in most large
cities, us in Washington City, we
pay by contract with the district
messengers g cents per message for
making deliveries. You may answer
that the Government sends letters q
thousand miles and delivers them for 9
cents, but neither the Government nor
any other patron Of the telegraph would
submit to the class Of deliveries made by
the letter carriers. In fact the Govern.
ment itself charges 10 cents per letter for
special delivery; and every telegraph
message requires special delivery,
Over more than half the area OF this city
We pay five cents per message for de.
livery.
We have been always ready to serve
the Government in the promptcst aud
best manner In our line OF business, and
have done great deal for the Govern.
ment without charge, giving 1t the use
Of wires on several occasions and open.
ing new stations at considerable ex.
pense for signal and astronomical oh.
servations. We have had our accounts
tied up for considerable portion Of
our service upon technical rulings upon
which we have been unable 10 procure
atrial and decision OF hecourts until the
arrears have reached the neighborhood OF
$780, 900. As instructed by the executive
committee Of the board OF directors, !
most respectively make this tho protest
OF the Western Union Telegraph Com.
pany and oi the subordinate telegraph
companies, which it controls, against
any further reduetion below the rates In
operation during the last few years Of
tolls to be paid by the Government for
the transmission Of Its messages, as a
wrong and injustice to this company,
10 It's thirty.six hundred stockholders,
and TO It's million OF other customers.
! have the honor TO remain
Most respectfully Yours,
(SiRnedl NORyIN GREEN, President,