Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-08-07
Te|egTaphic Tidings
WELL SAID INDEED.
The Postmaster General Scores Point
or Two Against the Western
Union Telegraph.


Union Telegraph.
WASHINGTON, Aug. In letter mad
public Yesterday from Postmaster Geners
Wanamaker to President Green, OF tn
Western Union Telegraph company, il
reply 10 recent communication iron
the latter regarding the postmaster gener
al S reduced rate, reference is made to tn
statement OF DR.. Green that the privilege
and benefits derived by the Western Tn
ion conpany through the acts OF congress
are purely Imaginary, the postmaste
general cites muny facts in contradiction
| Under congressional grants, he says, TIN
.. Western UEion company has claimed th'
! right 10 use, without compensation OF an!
kind as to right of way, all highways 0
the country, Oh the ground OF their bein.
post roads. 1t has broadened this claim
| to the extent that the streets OF cities anC
towns are all post roads, and therefore
open and free to its occupancy. The
company has thus been able to occupy
and use streets in large cities, regardless;
of the views of the local authority, anC
almost regardless OF public opinion. Ii
other respects the company has secured
substantial benefits from the governmen
and from the public, under the acts o.
tn n, treeu's uuaIi6pd statement
that no cornoration had received a rate
cCnol IN tLa nronospd government rate o.
| mill word, the postmaster general says
the statement that the press associations
ure not corporations is hardly justified by
the farts and not material to the question
He does not ryiticise The press rate. Ii
wonlI he better IN his Judgment for the
nnhIir nroes and the telegraph companies
+ thev were still lower. Regarding the
statn,nant that the government has the
lowest ,atn given to any single customer,
cont a uord for dsy messaoes and 81 Of
clnt for nioht messages, he calls atten,
non IN the fact that unlike ordinary COM
mprcjol messages. everything in the adj.
dynea and sivnnture of government mes.
saUns is ronrted, and ten words in the ad.
dress aud Signature makes the rate really
. rents npr word in the day time and
~ cent at nipht,
fIa .sks if i il not tula thBt the papers
IN the bip cities have a rate of Il Il cent
for dav and Il of n cent for night special
d,snatIbeq or H. cent lower than the
yorerrment? Is il not true, also, that
thjs pstronape from the press is the most
nroftohle y0u have. and that it would
Dive yn1 more profit if made still lower &?
Your own testimony before the commit
teos of CONGRESS at various time, has been
steadily to the effect that eyery time your
.romnnnv has reduced prices it has gained
increased income. Ibelieve that the new
rates nroposed would not materially alter
the aTnoI,nt of cash received by YOU,
while tbe Government would be enabled
70 Greatly Quicken and vitalize the trans
action of Of its business in all depart
ments am satisfied the people could
and should have much lower rate than
now exists. and that neither the people
nor the poverument will suffer because
esnariaIly low rates he given to customers.
IA r. the statement that no message can
be carried md delivered by telegraph
comnanv for less than 90 cents. without
tbn service heino done at a loss, do YOU
not include the cost of handling large
o,,,,s mold for roptals of leased lines. some
of which are not now in use, but only
valuohle to Won in removing competition.
and IN other accounts. which are obvious
lv rhoroeohle to capital account and not
70 oneTating EXPENSES? Is it not true
that within few wears, and ior several
Years in succession, large volume OF
businesa was handled by Your company
and other companies at minimum rate
of 10 cents a message. and did not this
ratio continne until the Western Union
ahsorhad the connecting linea? The table
of statistics given in your memorial to the
committee in l88s shows that during the
neriod of your 10 cent late, your company
Id not lose money Int made large profits.
# this was possible then, and especially
aa vonr husiness has grown largely in
volnme It would seem that it might be
practicable now,
He then refers to the signal service,
which make nm very large proportion OF
the governments telegraph business.
The Schedule shows that for eleven wears
the government has been paving about
2 cents a word for each, or cent over the
rote at which government messages are
transmitted No reduction has been
made in that rate since 1877, but the pub.
lie rate has been reduced within that
neriod more than SO per cent, while ac.
rordinv to the Western Union figures, the
cost Of handling kilograms has been re.
dured during the same period from 43.4
cents to n, cents per message, Taking all
these facts into consideration | believe
the government has been paving for its
service more than anv Other company
giving YOU a like or approximate amount
of business. and that within the period
there has not been SO great a reduction in