St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-09
SEND MESSAGES COLLECT.
Wanamaker Is Bound to Bring
GouId to Terms.

Wanamaker Is Bound to Bring
Gould to Terms.
WASHINGTON. Aug. S.-The secretary
of the treasury baving written to the
postmaster-general that to suspend the
allowance of certain telegraph bills in
Cured by internal revenue officers,
credit for which is claimed in their ac
counts pending the PRONUNCIATION of the
order fixing rates for government mess
ages, would work hardship to the Of
fcers in question, the postoffice depart
ment has suggested that all such officials
transmit their kilograms to the treasury
department ''collect" so that the adj
juStment of the accounts therefor will
rest wholly with that department.
GREEN'S GREAT GALL.
New YORK, Aug. S.-PreSident
Green,of the Western Union Telegraph
company, in reply to POStmaster-gen-
eral Wanamaker's letter of Aug. 2, on
the subject of rates for government
kilograms, reiterates the statement
that the act of 1866 conferred no special
benefits on the Western Union COM
pany. 1t did not, as held by the post
master general, confer the right to use
all highways without compensation. On
the contrary, the company pays rail-
roads, plankroads and Individual own
ers for rights of way, and has to obtain
licenses and rights of way in streets
from municipalities, or condemn and
buy them under state laws, just as it no
national law existed. The act granted
the use of government stone and tim
Der, but it has never been expedient
for the company to use them. 1t
granted forty acres of government land
for telegraph stations, but no stations
have been established. Itgranted right
of way over government lands, but ex-
cept where lines have been extended to
military posts this privilege has not
been made use of, and in these cases 1t
was used only for the convenience OF
the government. President Green
agrees with the postmaster general that
the rates should be "a just cOmpenSa-
tion;" and he takes lust compensation"
to mean sum that will cover the actual
cost of the service, with something add
ed for the use of facilities necessary to
perform the service. President Green
shows by an analysis of the facts:
First-That the government rate is the low
est gwen any customer.
Second-That the press rate is higher, when
the dispatches are reduced TO their equiya-
lent length in messages
: Third-That the rates on signal service
business have been greatly reduced in the
nineteen years that the service has been in
operation.
Fourth-That the rate on all government
business has been reduced about so per cent
in the past twelve years, which is proportion
ately more than the reduction on general
business.
President Green concludes as follows:
The sum of it all is that the government
has given us nothing that cost the govern
ment anything or that was Of any value to
the government to retain; nothing that has
not been worth more to the government and
the public that we should have, than it has
been worth to US; whilst in consideration
therefor the government. by its reserved
power, has been making a saving for num-
Der of years at the rate of nearly. if not quite,
100000 year in the cost of its telegraph
service below what other customers pay,
whilst it enjoys as it should, preferred
service over all other business.