Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-06
Is Valamaker's Reply to Presi
dent Green's Statements.
lmnsnSs YiIus 10 Western Ulioa n "lm-
isisily bsasfts."


4
public today says; Your unqualified state
meat that the privileges and benefits derives
by your company through acts Of Congress
are purely imaginAry. al the assertion tha
your company has never raken q stone o
sick Of timber. or appropriated q foot OF
land belonging to the government under such
acts, is not sustained by facts. The undeni
able fact is that the telegraph compa MES il
accepting the act Of 1866 and afterwards the
supplementary acts, considered they were
gaming special and actual benefits which
fully compensated them for the low ratei
| intended to be granted to the government
and the representatives of the government
supposed they were securing some benefits
for the valuable coBcrss ssions being made u
the telegraph companies The telegraph
companies not only accepted the acts, ex-
pecting that substantial benefits would ensue,
but in the case of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company notably great and conspicu
Gus benefits hxd already accrued. Under
these grants the company claimed the righ,
to use, without compensation Of any kind as
to right of way, all highways of the country,
on The ground of their being post roads. 1t
has broadened this claim 10 the extent that
the streets of cities and towns are also post
roads, and therefore open and free to its
occupancy and use. The courts have sus-
tanned it IN this claim. The Supreme Court
of the United States in the Pensacola case
decided that the Western Union Telegraph
Company had rights which even the sover-
eign State Of Florida could not snnul.
Thus, under the benefits of this act, instead
of not occupying foot of public land, as
you assert, you are, in fact, occupying many
thousands of miles of post roads. and are
privileged to occupy all the highways in the
United States.
You have thu, been able to occupy and
use the streets in the large cities of Phiia-
delphia and New York regardless Of the
vlws of the local authorities, almost regard
less of public opinion. Even the elevated
railroads of New York city were claimed 80
post roads and the claims sustained. Be
yond this the streets of all other cities and
towns of the United States have been kept
open to your use. | am sure that on reilec
ton you will hardly claim that such grea,
bene fls as tn, Sc were purely imaginary In
other respects you and the telegraph com
panies have secured substantial benefits
from the government and from the public
under acts Of Congress. In conferring such
great benefits aud privileges upon you the
government in my belief expects that IT is en-
titled to receive not simply your exception
aiai 49,. A. IN vo,, nu.sti,1, ,f tho
,l".sI na.sr IF tho no.tm,.,er general IN Il
~, - 81. e.aya,au..n, nss.s,as I would
~ -,,'rL ,h., no, r,ah, .n,.ar. tn ha
..,,o,,d ~, ,,rsv.ou. no.tms., yep,rals
a. ,b.i, ott;rial au,v and their exercise of
,A;s r;nb, ~ narfn,m.nca of dut. bss bean
,,,,,,,,sII, onJ const.ntiv .ccanted and ra.
s,,a,,ad hy talayrayh ronnanies In anv
-, I .bo,,d sav We NAV ayree IN the ac,
80 ron.r.ss IN NJ least impose on the po.t
,,..tsr General the dn,v To name the rate
ii ,,ain,.in i, nntl in tho coprt If inouirv
,ha r.t. has h..n shown In ne uniust IA To
,,,,,r ,n., 6ad s,.,en.nt that M cornoration
10 ,.caivet .. rate ,oual tn the propos,d
,,oysrnm.,t rate of on, mill a work. vour
s,.,amept that pre.s ,soc,ations are not cor
,,,,a,;on. ia hardly ins,ifed bv tho fact.
n,,, ,,a,.,r al to an atm They NAV not he
o,,,,,a-.,,ns for y.ner.I busness Mos, IL
n,,, all .re ;,corno,ated unaar the laws Of
snr,, Sat- .,,i tho dealing with teleyranh
oe,,,,.n;o- !. aso comns,v or coroora,ion
s,nIiv;duals
nns of vour officials admitted To me that
.n,na of ,hs n,es, as.oci,tion. got news re-
,,,r,s sor a Mill a wors tn each newsnaper.
snJ in ono .ssocla,ion The rate is even lower
,h., ,ha, IN not criticise the press rate
!, i. No. ~, low II won,d no better in INV
;,,damar, fo, Tho nnblc press and teleyranb
oon,,,aoia. 10 il wa. s,;lI ioxer A tn the AZ.
soc,a,ed press there il force in YOUR state
,,,ant ,h.t i, ia wholesale ss if il were for
tho sama disna,cb sent over the same vir,
a, ~, .sme time IN several customsrs bu, ia
!, n,,t ,r,,. tl,at rates given some portions OF
tho n,ess effectively contradict vour own
~. .,l,nsr,. 20, mss.syes transmitted IN a sin.
aIs adI,e.. tne goyernment i, our onlv
eu.,omsr sniov;ny ra,lnced ra,esp Bv this
! ,rns,,,,e Won msan that tho gove,,.
-, ha. tho iowss, r.ta given .rv .inyIa
ors,o,,or II. lowast rats beiny ope cent a
ro,d Co.. d,v mesx.ge. and three -fouyths of
. cer, 60, nioht messages This charge /.
made un,n tho message ;,seIf aairass and
,ign.,ure For ten word, in n message and
To-, I'D. i, a, .dd,a.. and signature IN.
.hnva ,.to I. !, foo, two cont. oer word for
dsy .,J ONO .nd one.hslf cen,s ner word for
riab, l. II not ,rue that the large naners in
Nav york Chicago and other large cities
h.ra Tho balf cart ratio for snacial aav die.
rotcbos and one. .fourtb cent for p;eht o- a
- o,a- -h.If lore, ,b.n tho ,orarnment ia
.-.n.a12 r. !, not TN, ,,.o ,ba, mi. na,,on.
orc rom tho anternr;.iny nrps, i. the most
p,,e,a hia that vn, hava and vouId Give Won
s,;Ii ,,,oro nrost ;f made all, lowars Yo,r
nwr ,a a.,;rionr hsfo,o the conmi,tse. of
Conc.as. hss hsan .,sa,,;iv N The affec, ,bs,
90 ,;r,a von, eamr.rv reduces tho nr;ce,
!, h.. .a;noa ;ao,aasaa ;rcoms hslisx.
~, ,a. -. narI. g.. tha rora,nmar,
'.,1 W.. s..f;.lt, ~ ,ho an,o,n, ~
-. o."h ,;.na ~; hn ,n, ~hi1a ,ho anxernmen,
,, a.I 49,, n,tic,, 20 .,ro.,,v ,,;ctsn and v;,
"t;xa 10 ,,.n.sc,;n, af IL. bn.;nes. in All
a"re-.n,on,. a. Won .I.o nI.;,,,x ,av t,., cer.
~ :I'5. .. ...s,.,.,;ar oo,,,.n;.,
s,a ,,xan hale com,,srr;sl rs.e. Whsr
considered ,ha, in government messages ali
word. are counted with address and signature
in all other teieQrams the message is only
counted. is il not true that this half rate tc
such companie. is at leas, a. low as the gov
eminent rate and n come instances is lower.
| I do not wish to have confused with thi
part of the discussion, the free service 70,
give the railroad for certain free service I,
You. These psvment. I understand are TO
right of wav. etc. lam informed that YOU
COMPANY in many cases, actually paw. large
|