Huntsville gazette., 1889-08-10
THE OTHER SIDE.

lation to the Proposed Reduction in
Government Telegraph Tolls - The
purely Imaginary" Benefits Enjoyed
by the Company Given Decidedly
Tangible Complexion.
| WASHINGTON. Aug 6.-Postmaster-
| General Wanamaker has addressed q
long letter to Norvin Green. president of
| the Western Union Telegraph Coal-
| pany, in reply to the latter's protest
| against the proposed reduction
in Government telegraph rates. The
| Postmaster General insists that Presi-
| dent Green's unqualified statement
that the privileges and benefits derived
| by the Western Union Company under
the act of 1865 are purely imaginary, and
| that the company has never taken a stone
or stick of timber, or appropriated
| foot of land belonging TO the Govern
ment under this law and supplementary
| acts, are not sustained by the facts. The
/ telegraph companies, he says, not only
accepted the acts, expecting that sub
| stantial benefits would ensue, 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 right of way, 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 occupy
ing a foot Of public land. as you assert
you are in fact occupying many thou
sands 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 i'll
the large cities of Philadelphia
and New York, regardless of the
views of the local authorities
and almost regardless Of public opinion.
Even the elevated roads in New York
City have been claimed as post-roads and
the claim sustained. The State of New
York may regulate the use, but is not
able to deprive you of these great privi-
leges 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
}
you will hardly claim that such ggsat
benefits as these are purely imaginary
In other respects your company and
other telegraph companies have secured
| substantial benefits from the Government
and from the public under acts Of Con-
gress, but these | have mentioned are
enough, l think, to sustain my former
reference to the privileges and benefits
given to you by the Government, the
value of which, in my judgment is be-
| yond calculation. Conferring 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 a lower
| special rate"
Mr.. Wanamaker says that a Yves tern
| Union official has admitted that some Of
| the press associations get their news re-
| ports for mill word to each newspa-
| per, and in one association tile rate is
even lower than that. He does not crit
| iciSe 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 profit
| able that the company has, and if it would
| not in fact give still more profit if made
| still lower. Reduced rates bring in
| creased business and enlarged profits,
and the Postmaster General believes that
the new rate proposed for the Govern
| ment would not materially alter the
amount of cash received by the COM
pany while the Government would be
enabled to greatly quicken and vitalize
the transactions of its business in all de-
partments.
Mr.. Wanamaker says that on signal
| service business no reduction whatever
has been made in the Government rates
since 1877, but within that period the
| Western Union Company has reduced
the public rate from sixty two and a half
to thirty cents per message. Within the
| past five years the public rate has fallen
| eighteen per cent, but there has been no
reduction whatever in Government rates.
| Taking these facts into account, he be-
| lieves that the Government has been
Epaying for its telegraphic service
more than other customers giving
a like or approximate amount Of
business, and waving entirely the ques-
| ton of benefits accruing to the telegraph
| companies under the act Of 1865, the Gov
ernment he thinks, ought to be put upon
I as favorable oasis WIN respect TO rates
as their most favored customers.
| Mr.. Wanamaker closes his letter by
| saying that as he consented to a request
| for a conference on the subject before
any official order fixing the rates should
be issued, he is yet quite willing TO en-
| tertain any reasonable proposition based
| upon the known facts.
| Postmaster Paul's Resignation Accepted.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.-The Postmaster
| General sent the following letter to Post
master Paul last Saturday:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 1899
| Geo. IT. Paul, Esq, Nit1rGukee, Fis.:
| SIR-Your letter of July 90 rendering your
| resignation as postmaster at Milwaukee, Wis
has been received. Before its receipt the
| Civil-Service Commission had submitted re-
| port of an examination of your Office upon
| which / should have taken action before this
| but for your request for delay in order that you
| might submit a statement in your own behalf
| After the examination by the Civil-Service
| Commission post-office inspector was sent to
| examine your Office and his report has also
| been submitted to me- Upon these reports