The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-08-16
Gsus Hssa K.seks.

WASHINGTON, Special Telegram, Aug. g.
The following arc the principal points in q
letter from Postmaster General Wanamaker
to President 0reon. Of the Western Union
Telegraph company, tn regard to telegraph
rates paid BY the government:
Your unqualified abatement that sthe priv.
!eEes and bsneats derived BY your company
@ sntonsn the sots Of oonatess arc purely imaxi-
company has never taken stone or stick Of
Mmnof. ~ os appropriated foot Of land belonging
70 snS government under such acts. are not
that the telegraph companies in accepting the
acts. Sonsidsrsd they were gaining special and
for the low rates Intended TO be granted to the
government and The representative Of tho gov.
eminent likewise supposed thu they we're Sc
sions being made 10 Tho teieersph companies ISss
Tho tcleenph companies not only accepted the
acts expecting sabstsotial benefits would
usos ss s.'' Ss sns %. Ss,.
have Already undssp sssss .nss Ssas: a.:
co! comIsny has claimed The right 70 use. without
the highways Of tho country. on the ground II
their bcing post roads. Il has broadened this
claim to the extent that the streets Of cities and
and freo 70 tts occupancy and use Tho courts
have sustained IL 10 this claim. You are ncces.
sartly familiar with tho Pensacola case. In which
that the Western Union Telegraph company had
rights which even the sovereign State OF Florida
could not annul. This. under the benefits Of
lio land. .. you assert. you are In fact. occupy.
lug many Thousands Of miles OF post roads, and
1Ee pIiytleaed to occupy all the hiehw.ys in tho
cnv sns You nave q shps been able 70
Philsdelphia aud New York, regardless Of the
views Of the local authorities. and almost
RtoA1DLEss OF PUEBLO OPINION.
have been claimed as post roads and the claim
sustained. The State OF New York may regu-
!ste In the use bat ts not able to deprive you Of
paniea. and maintained to them alone. by tho
congressional set Of 1866. Beyond this the
streets Of all other cities and towns Of the
am sure that, ON reflection, YOU viii hardly
claim that such great benefits as these are
.purely Imaginary AZ to your question Of the
legal power OF tho postmaster general TO FIX the
rate for government messages should say we
may agree that the act OF CONGRESS- ut least i'm.
poses on the postmaster general the duty to
name tho rate and maintain 1t until in court
ot inquiry the rate has been shown TO be unjust
As to yOnr qualified statement that no corpora.
lions have received the ratio equal TO the pre-
posed government rate Of one mill word, your
corporations IL hardly Justified by the facts and
1s not material to tho question. As to your
ststement that no message can bo carried and
twenty cents without tho service being dono at
loss: ls 1t not true that within fow years
and for several years In succession large volumes
OF business have been handled by your company
and other cOmpanica at . minimum rate Of ten
cents message. aud did not this ratio continue
until tho Western Union absorbed tho cOmpot.
ing lines?
Mr. Wansmaker slys 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 have reduced the public rate from
62l2 cents to 80 cents per message Within
the past five years the public ratio has fallen
lS per cent, but there hos been no reduction
whatever in government rateR Taking
these facts In nccount he believes that the
government has been payinv for its teio
graphic service more than any other Gus
toner giving like or approximate amount
OF business. and waiving entirely the ques-
ton Of benefits accruing to tho telegraph
companies under The net Of 1866 the gov.
eminent. he thinks, ought to be upon a. IL.
vorable . basis with respect to rates as their
most favored customers Mr.. Wanamaker
closes bis letter by saying that us no con
sented to request for conference on the
subject before any official order fixing the
rates should be issued he ia yet willing to
entertain any reasonable proposition based
upon the known facts