Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-08-06
Wanamaker to Green.
A Reply to the Western Union
Magnate.
A FEW POINTS THAT HE IGNORED.

| seem TO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF
Tariffs and an Argument for Lower Gov
eminent Rates-A Letter TO Postmaster
Paula Batch of Appointments
WASHINGTON CITY, Aug. 6 POSTMASTER
General Wanamaker has addressed a long
letter to- Norvin Green, president Of the
Western Union Telegraph company, in re-
ply TO the latter's protest against the pro-
posed reduction in government telegraph
rates. The postmaster general insists that
President Green's unqualified statement that
the privileges aud benefit derived by the
Western Union company under the act Of
1866 are purely imaginary, and that the COM
pany has never taken a stone or stick of
timber, or appropriated foot of land be-
longing to the government under this law
and supplementary act are not sustained by
the facts
A Few Advantages Enumerated.
The telegraph companies, he says, not only
accepted the acts, expecting substantial bene-
fits would ensue, but in the case of the West
ern Union Telegraph company, notably,
great and conspicuous benefits have alread Y
accrued Under these laws the compan v
has claimed the right to use, without COM
pensation of any kind as to right of way, all
the highways of the country on the ground
of their being post roads. More than this,
it has broadened its claim to the extent that
1 the streets of cities and towns are also post
| roads, and therefore open and free to its oc-
| cupancy and use; and in this claim the COM
pany has been sustained by the courts.
Had Great Privileges.
| HThus," he says, "under the benefits of this
sct, instead of not occupying foot of pub
lie land, as you assert, you are in fact oc-
| cupying 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 occupy and use the streets
in the large cities of Philadelphia and New
York regardless of the views of the local au-
| thorities, and almost regardless of public
opinion. Even the elevated railroads in
New York city have been claimed as post
roads and the claim sustained. The state of
| New York may regulate in the use, but is
not able to deprive you of these great priv
ileges secured to the telegraph company and
maintained to them alone by the congress
sional act of 1860 Beyond this the streets of
all other cities and towns of the United
States have been kept open to your use l
am sure that on reflection you will hardly
| claim that such great benefits rs these are
| purely imaginary
| Very Substantial Benefits.
| an other respects your company and other
telegraph companies have secured substan-
tial benefits from the government and from
the public under acts of congress, but these
| have mentioned are enough, / think to
sustain my former reference to the priv
ileges and benefits given to you by the gov
eminent, the value of which, in my judg-
ment, is beyond calculation. Comforting
such great privileges upon you, the govern
ment, in my belief, expected, and is entitled
to receive, not simply your exceptionally low
rates to others, but even a lower special
rate"
| The Press Rate.
| Mr.. Nanamaker says that a Western
| Union official has admitted that some of the
press associations get their news reports 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-it is not
too low. 1t would be better, he thinks, for
| the public, the press and the telegraph COM
panies il it were lower. He asks President
Green If it is not true that the patronage
| from the enterprising press is the most
profitable that the company has, and if lie
would not in fact give still more profit if it
mane Stlll lower. reduced rates bring IN
creased business and enlarge profits, and the
postmaster general believes that the new
rate proposed for the government would not
| materially alter the amount of cash re-
ceived by the company, while the govern
ment would be enabled to greatly quicken
and vitalize the transaction of its business in
all departments.
Some Odious Comparisons
Mr.. Wanamaker says that on signal serv-
ice business no reduction whatever has been
made in the government rates since 1877, but
within that period the Western Union COM
pany has reduced the public rate from 6216
to 30 cents per message. Within the past
five years the public rate has fallen Is per
cent, but there has been no reduction what
ever in government rates. Taking these
facts in account he believes that the govern
ment has been paying for its telegraphic serv-
ice more thon any other customer giving a
like or approximate amount of business and
| waving entirely the question of benefits &C
cruing to the telegraph companies under the
act of 1866 the government, he thinks, ought
| to be put upon favorable a basis with re-
| spect TO rates as their most favored Gus
toners.
Willing to Consider the Matter.
MIR. Wanamaker closes his letter by saying
that, as he consented to request for a con-
ference on the subject before any official
order fixing the rates should be issued he is
quite willing to entertain any reasonable
proposition based upon the known facts.