The Iola register., 1889-08-16
wANAMAKER TO GREEN.

The Postmaster-GenerarsR Reasons Why
the Government Should Receive Lower
Rates.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 1-Postmaster-G Gen.
eral Wanamaker has made public long
letter to Norvin Green. president of the
Western Union Telegraph Company, in
reply to the latter's protest against the
proposed reduction in Government tele-
graph rates He insists that Presidents
Green's unqualified statement that the
privileges and benefits derived by the
Western Union Company under the act of
1886 are purely imaginary, and that the
company has never taken stone or stick
of timber, or appropriated foot of land
belonging to the Government under this
law and supplementary act are not sus-
tanned bv the facts. The telegraph COM
panies. he saws. not only accepted the acts
expecting substantial benefits would en-
sue. but in the case of the Western Union
Telegraph Company notably great and
conspicuous benefits have already ac-
crued. Under these laws the company
has claimed the right to use, without
compensation of any kind as to right of
way, all the highways of the country and
streets and cities and towns being post
roads and therefore open and free to its
been sustained by the courts.
t'Thus" Mr.. Wanamaker SAYS, 'under
the benefits of the act instead of not occu-
pying 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 of the United
States. You have thus been able to occu-
py and use the streets in the large cities
of Philadelphia and New York regardless
of the views of the local authorities and
almost re ardless of public opinion. Even
the elevated railroads in New York City
have been claimed as post roads and the
claim sustained. In all other respects
your company and other telegraph COM
panies have secured substantial benefits
from the Government and from the public
under acts of Congress, but these l have
mentioned are enough. / think. to sustain
my former reference to the privileges and
benefits given to you by the Government,
the value of which, in my judgment Is
beyond calculation.
Comforting such great privileges upon
you the Government, in nv belief, expects
and is entitled to receive not simply your
exceptionally low rates to others but
even lower special rate"
Mr.. Wanamaker says that a Western
Union official has admitted that some of
the press associations get their news re-
ports for a mill a word to each newspaper
and in one association the rate is even
lower than that. He does not criticise the
press rate and says that it is not too low.
II would be better, he thinks. for the pub
lie the press and the telegraph companies
If it were lower. He asks President Green
If it is not true that the patronage from
the enterpris ising press is the most profita-
ble that the conn any has, and if it would
not in fact give still more profit if made
still lower, reduced rates bringing liz
creased business and enlarged profits.
The Postmaster General believes that
the new rate proposed for the Govern
ment would not materially alter the
amount of cash received by the company,
while the Government would be enabled
TO greatly quicken and vita ize the trans
action of its business in all departments.
MIR. Wanamaker says that on signal SER
vice business no reduction whatever has
been made in the Government rates since
1877. but within that period the Western
Union Comnany has reduced the public
rate fl pm u2'a to 80 cents per message.
Within the past five years the public rate
has fallen IS per cent, but there has been
no reduction whatever in Government
rates. Taking these facts into account he
believes that the Government has been
paying for its telegraph service more than
any other cu-tomer giving like or ap-
proximate amount of business. Waving
entirely the question of benefits accruing
to the telegraph companies under the act
of 1866 the Government, he thinks ought
10 be put upon as favorable basis with
respect to rates as their most favored GUS
toners.
Mr.. Wanamaker closes his letter by say
ing that as he has consented to a request
for a conference on the subject before any
official order fixing the rates should be is.
sued, he is vet quite willing to entertain
any reasonable proposition based upon
the known facts.