Telegram-herald., 1890-03-02


by ths President" At this posnt Repre-
sentative Anderson Miss. interrupted
Dr. Ggeen q ezll attention - tie ate
As, and added that the witnesses
answers were zFgumeBtatIve ana mol
responsive. Representative crane
Tex remarked that % Tar As
coaching the committee vas concerned,
the Postmaster General had never
spoken 70 him upon the subject. " htn
be, the PostmzsteF-0eneral, Was on the
stand, he Mr.. Cralnl bad c&tecnized
him a. closely as he nad Or. Green be-
cause be wanted 10 vote INTEL gently
upon the proposition.
Dr. Green; The POstmsstsr-Genersl
has between 50, 0O0 ana 100, 900 civil sp-
pointments 20 make, and ever member
has two or three N his district.
Mr.. Cfaln-l am a Democrat, and
get none from him. My only obiec-
Ton 10 the Postmaster General Is his
politics.
Then, addressing himself tothe sub
lect or the pending ball, Mr.. Cram said /:
DR.. Green's objection was not based on
the assumption that Il provided for the
erection and malnle nance Of Gov
ernment lines. DR.. Green replied
that that vas what il amounted TO; that
would be the result.
Mr.. Grain asked why the Western
Union opposed the bill, il il proposed
an impractical plan.
DR.. Green-Because the fools are not
dead yet. A great many people would
jump IN 10 build telegraph lines with
out assurance that they could make
anything. Mr.. Cram remarked
that the objection seemed to be that
the Western lnlon Company would not
be helped, but the people would be. Dr.
Green replied that certain class of
people would be benefited If they
could send messages at cent word, /,
or at mil, as originally pro-
posed by the Postmaster-General. But
the benefit would be confined to
one per cent. OF the people, and that at
the cost of the Government. Mr.. Cram
reloIned that the bill cid not propose
that the Government should meet the
cost. The sender OF the message was To
pay the entire expense. DR.. Green re-
Piled that the bill did not propose any
thing OF the sort. That was ms objec-
ton. The sender would pay
fixed rate, which would be
insufficient. "But," said Mr.. Grain, lit
authorizes the Government to contract
with telegraph companies for service at
fixed rate. III it was closing rate, the
companies would be the losers, not the
people. DR.. Green replied that 1t was
a matter of opinion as TO the result,
and the committee would see by expert
euce that his view was right.
Mr.. Crain-You say English operators
racafUo hf1t ~ IL nf tha "A nos "A
TO our operators? Don't thev employ
twice as many men to do the work?
DR.. Green-I say 1t will take twice as
many IN this country If the Govern
ment does the work.
Chairman Bingham, addressing DR..
Green, said IN reference to his criticism
of the POStmaSter-Gene The
PoStmaster-General Is here by the same
invitation as you are, To discuss the
half dozen bills referred to the House
for its action. The Postmaster-General
has not coached the committee, nor
does the committee propose to be
coached by any one"
Mr.. Gambler a committeeman added
that when the committee found that
but one million of tifty-nlne million
people We're using the telegraph, 1t be-
lIeved 1t 10 be matter OF duty to see
how It's use could be extended. 1t was
an improvement upon the older
system of maIl communication, and
the people should be offered every Op-
portunity to use it. 1t seemed to HIM
that DR.. Green had an unjust cOncep-
ton OF the Postmaster-Generals posi-
ton, when ne assumed that he was at
tacking the Western Union Telegraph
Company. The influence which had
been in the committee and probably
in the mind of the Postmaster-General
was for the attainment of an advantage
higher and more important to the mass
of the people, than might be supposed
from some things that had
been said. Dr.. Green replied
that this country was great
agricultural country. The farmers and
artisans had no occasion TO use the tele-
graph once year. They would not
telegraph If they could do it for cents.
The bulk OF the business was CONNER
clal or speculative.
Mr.. Gambler could not agree with
this proposition. He believed that
every man in this country was inter-
estad in cheap telegraphy. This con-
cluGed DR.. Green's testimony and the
committee listened to the reading of a
statement by Mr.. Barnum. representing
the Visual Synchronism Telegram Com
pany, IN favor of the Postmaster Gen
eras's plan, until noon arrived. when it
adjourned.