The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-08-15
WanaInaker 20 Green

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug. 5.-Post-
master General Wanamaker has made
public long letter to NorVin Green,
president of the Western Union tele-
graph company, in reply to the latter's
protest against the proposed reduction
in government telegraph rates. He
states that President Green's unquali-
fed statement that the privileges and
benefits derived by the Western Union
company under the act to 1866 are
purely imaginary, and that the COM
pany has never taken stone or stick
of timber, or appropriated a foot of
land belonging to the government I'M
der this law and supplementary act,
are not sustained by the facts. The
telegraph companies, he says, not on
ly accepted the acts expecting substan-
tial benefits would ensue, but in the
case of the Western Union telegraph
company, notably great and conspicu-
GUS benefits have already occurred.
Under these laws the company has
claimed the right to use, without COM
penSation of any kind as to right of
way, all the highways of the country
and streets of cities and towns as be-
ing post roads and therefore open and
free to its occupancy and uses, and in
this claim has been sustained by the
courts.
Thus Mr.. Wanamaker saws. ''under
the benefits of the act instead of not
occupying foot of public lands as you
assert, you are in fact occupying many
thousands of miles of post roads, and
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
ntt nj
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 bene-
fits from the government and from the
public under acts of congress, but these
have mentioned are enough, L think
70 sustain my former reference to the
vileges and benefits given to you by
government, the value of which, in
my Judgement, is beyond calculation
'ConferTing such great privilege:
upon you, the government, in my be
lief, expects and is entitled to receive
not simply your exceptionally low
rate to others, but even lower spec
ial rate"
Mr.. Wanamaker says that Western
Union official has admitted that some
of the press associations get theiI
news reports for one mill "a word u
each newspaper, and in, one association
the rate is even lower than that. HC
says that il is not too low. 1t would bC
better, he thinks, for the public, the
press and the telegraph companies il
it were lower. He asks Presiden
Green il it were not true that the pat
ronage from the enterprIsiDg press il
the most profitable that the company
has and If it would not, in fact givt
still more profit if made still lower
reduced rates bringing increased bust
ness and enlarged profits.
The post master general believes
that the new rate proposed for the
government would not materially alte
the amount of cash received by TIN
company, while the government
would be enabled to greatly quicker
and vitalize the transaction of its bust
ness in all the departments.
Mr.. Wanamaker says that on sigma
service business no reduction whatev
err has been made in the government
rates since 1877, but within that pc
riod the Western Union company ha
reduced the public rate from 624 to 3
cents per message. Within the pas
five years the public rate has fallen
per cent, but there has been no reduc
ton whatever in government rates
Taking these facts into account he be
lieves that the government has been pa
ing for its telegraph service more thai
any other customer giving like or ap
prOXimate amount of business. WaiV
ing entirely the question of benefits az
crueing to the telegraph companie
under the act of 1866 the government
he thinks, ought to be put upon a
favorable basis with respect to rate
as their most favored customers.
Mr.. Wanamaker closes his letter b
saying that as he has consented to
request for conference on the subjeC
before any official order fixing tn
rates should be issued, he is yet quit
willing to entertain any Teasonabl
proposition based upon the know
f,,,N