St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-06
JOHN Is NOT A JAY.
Jay Gould's Dizzy Argument Has
No Effect Upon Wanamaker

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5.-POstmaSter
General Wanamaker has addressed
long letter to Norvin Green, president
of the Western Union company, in re-
ply to the latter's protest against the
proposed reduction in government
telegraph rates. The postmaster gen.
eral insists that President Green's IN
qualified statement that the priv
ilegeS and benefit derived by
the Western Union company under the
act Of 1866, are purely imaginary; and
that the company has never taken
stone or stick of timber, or appropriat-
ed foot of land belonging to the gov
eminent under this law and supple
mentary act, are not sustained by the
facts. The telegraph companies, he
says, not only accepted the acts, eX-
pecting substantial benefits would en-
sue. but in the case of the Western
Union Telegraph company, notably,
great and conspicuous benefits have
already accrued. 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 on the ground of their being
post roads. More than this it has
broadened its claim to the extent that
the streets of cities and towns are also
post roads, and therefore, open and free
to its occupancy and use; and in this
claim the company has been sustained
by the courts. THUS" he says. ''under
the benefits of this act, instead of not
occupying foot of public land, as you
assert, you are in fact, occupying many
are privileged to occupy all the high
ways 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 authorities, and almost regard
less of public opinion. Even the ele-
waited railroads in New York city have
been claimed as p0stroads and the claim
sustained. The state of New York may
regulate in the use. but is unable to de-
prive you of these great privileges
secured to telegraph companies and
maintained to them alone by the con-
gressiOnal act of 1866. Beyond
this the streets of all other
cities and towns of the United
States have been kept open to your
use. / am sure that, on reflection, you
will hardly claim that such great bene-
fits as these are purely imaginary
LII ptiicI IcopCClo YOUR COlupdUy anu
other telegraph companies have Sc
cured substantial benefits from the GOV
eminent and from the public under acts
of congress, but these i have mentioned
are enough, think, to sustain my for
mer reference to the privileges and ben
efts given to you by the gov
ernment, the value of which, in
my judgment, is beyond calcula-
ton. Comforting such great privileges
upon you, the government in my belief,
expected and is entitled to receive not
simply your exceptionally low rates to
others, but even lower special rate"
Mr.. Wanamaker says that Western
Union off "ial has admitted that some
of the Press associations get their news
reports for mill word to each news
paper, and in one a. ,ciation the rate is
even lower than that. He does not
critlcise the press rate; it is not too
low. 1t would be better, he thinks, for
the public, the press and the telegraph
companies if 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 it would not, in
fact, give still more profit if made still
lower. Reduced rates bring increased
business and enlarged profits, and the
postmaster general believes that the |
new rate proposed for the government |
would not materially alter the amount |