The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-02
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
Dr. Noryin Green Gives Interest
ing Facts.
RE cosr or ONE OispArcH.


IL
-d<sons Interested 10 postal selexraphv assen-
& ~ 10 tne room Of the House possofhce com
,.lffr4 yesterday 10 listen 10 DR.. Soryin
I $50. president Of the Western union com
~. Possmarer-Geueral waasmsker. with
~ assistant, Affosney-GeneraI Tynes. Gass1ssr
1rkbsrd and repr sensatiyes Of The different
V Slressph companies were present
~. Green began his femarka BY dfscunuang
= uerifs and dement's Of the EUROPEAN gov
s~.ens telexrsph systemA He s4id thsf while
g fpetsncss their charzes were lower than
) - 10 the the United efates they were con-
5000 et loss. He presented table showing
- domestic companies had 400 stations and
- q U9 90 messages annually, against s. 90
11tions snd 17s.oto0oo messages In the resi- Of
- world They had more than hall the entire
n11esec Of the world The United 6fatss con
11lIpd TIN eleveaths Of This basiness Iis seock
= he]d b. $50 p<fsons Ia the United States;
atn 81 these are females.
81 Green believed the United States govern
~ hsd no business with the Management Of
- tes exfaph. II could not he managed -
skeapts: Il could not do Il better: and u9ne Of
~ : fex Of kilograms had asked for Il II
- prn posed 70 make . rate Of ono aif the
- o sendfng messages. and the deficiency
S1e3d hare TO be nnads mp By 50 10000 people
- dId rot use the telegraph. The repoffa Of
- Nae York ONCE of the weetcrn Union In
s ererfspx places. iafxe class Of telegraph
s ~ are stock brokers ana Spectators, and
& - were the people who were 70 be protected:
- we're the people In who4e interest the peo
& - 0sre TO be taxed.
s. q De government wanted 70 60 into the tele-
s5resh business II should buy the lines outright
atould not seek to tx losing rates for existiug
II rmcanicA That would not be fasr to 3sb4S
& efhoIdeYs The Western Union would not
ax.~ ffsscc = xr&P nm. n NJ
- lhe bus1nesa Here was . scheme preaeuted
i Is 70 81 posto0iccs where there was frce
4 XifvpYy and where there were abundant teie-
aRenh facilities THIS was TIE wsy the postmas-
SeseeuersI proposed 20 supply the needs Of s..
mem p ople. This was the entering wedge Of
apevement to break down the present com
11piss and to establish = com pI.ts government
S)unph and against that he protected
D.. Green then made comparison between.
e American aud English telegraph systems
ga maintained that our rates Ia zeal ~. taking
ITO account free addresses and signatures and
IL snarfnous area of territory covered, much
s AVER Than the English low rates. Yst Il was
eeoUueed 70 reduce these rates Arbitrarily still
! kWss.
4 would require q .s7s miles Of wire TO supply
oAneis consection % the 81 places compsised
0iiAis the postmaster general's plan and 10 do
tnfneus practically Il would require Ut least
Iano miles Of wire
q pres contracts the rental Of this wire would
- ReD0N whoever undertook to do tele-
UouA business on this system would do e ~ .
= ihia country there were more telegraph
go than postofi sea In this Older part Of the
suussg Il was 10 per can't greater. and yet
cssna Dsissin owned both Telegraph and post
cGc<k Did that look - Il the Western Union
~ ~ haepinR abreast Of thu timesf In North
curotoa the Western Union had telegraph
oGau at sii mot pay 3 cents In gross rsce!pts.
n ne as7 pIsces named IN the postmaster
funGrn1's plan as telegraph oflices the govern.
ntns owned but i04 postoflce buildings.
h sos becom ne . grave question - 70
pAe(h 4 nov pron;ed the Western Union 70
matjnne It's contracts with railroad compaaya
oGruaiIy they were sources Of great revenue.
i ~ neR The rsiiroaf business was increasing TO
"a a extent that IL was doubtful II the tels-
uspA company, which handled their bus. ness
~ ala MT | se by the agreement
7he chairman asked how much Of their bush
& - the Western Union did In the free delivery
q. Green replied that about 80 per cent would
~ IT, That business was more largely spcsu-
fave than the remainder OF their business. ~
tsould include the great money centers of the
enatry.
he chairman said that II was proposed TO pay
fmeaes stamp. He would like 10 know what
~ operating cost was
b. Green replied that . close estimate pared
4 q tire rents q message. In cases OF long dis
hncs messages II ran up 70 nine cents. The
syringe compensation Of nrst class operators
- SIS per month.
fhs chairman wished to know how the rates
Nexsssvd by the postmaster compared with tho
Uesent rates
b.. Green replied that generally they we're
0eAitns lower. In the case OF long distance
Messages they were one-hsd lower The aver
~ message Was twenty oac words. inciudin.
a1dfesscs and signaturc2 II was preferable 10
untnue the sys en- II free addresses 10 inxH.e
oeturste delivery. Under the English system.
Z sAsn addresses are charged iof. the addresses
vefs cramped and messages frequently failed
b delivery.
10 the broad question as 10 how the post
master generals plan appeared To him. ~ .
bssiutm proposition, nr. Green said that. OF
epurse. il coaid be carried out. but the business
could not be done by the government or =
mfpoyation NJ q profit and somebody would
have 10 make up the deficiency.
Repr sentative Grain wished to know Why. II
he bin Was tmpraetieabie. Dir. Green aud the
Nssidens of the Postal Telegraph Company
sefh appeared here to contest against 81
n Green replied that IL Was serious matter
y hen. They did not wish TO be PLACED In
edupet,on with the united States treasury.
ne government coald afford 20 bear loss.
NJ Crsin-But the ball don't provide for
Hat
b.. treen-It will have 10 provide for that I.
rh DC asked for an appropriation inside OF
Nar
NJ Crane remarked that II no company would
@nsfsct with the government. the hiil could do
nem no harm
he chairman q, this point interviewed TO say
'aaf DR. Green did sot appear n hts own in.
N&ace. eu; AZ the rc9nest OF the committee
BAT TIE doctor. continuing his reply to Mr.
usia's query, said; why 10 IL that tho British
pvernment. having had its telegraph system
NJ WE'VE or eighteen years. paying "a the orers
sosshaifenr salaries, with sysiefn placed ia an
sen country. in a small area thiekiy populated
asi'ns shoai one quarter Of the cost of our syr-
"a 70 maintain. Why was IL that that govern.
sea' lad resisted the attemp, 20 lower the shil
anx tate. and why had the postmaster general
saAiis agreed 10 oaly oil ghi redaetioa' tits be
Mssc she receipts Of the system had lacked $780,.
ea,s
" NoEvin Green today continued his state
asni Respecting rates generally DR. Green
- sns, th,y were about ene-Aaif % those pre-.
s1ans twenty-five years ago Rates between
~ eHn and British rates was as Is cents 20
was The postmaster general proposed 30
ssaee these rates one half. and this IN face OF
- ises ma. the British system had been orer.
~ wita dshett Of nearly sla.ocn 100 IN the
- eleven years aud probably s0ooa.ooo since
establishment Ies the British system had
asu inssisnted aader solemn pledge THAI IL
sasad b self supporting
sae ssiarses OF RFi ssa operators averaged
80 sN 10 IS per month. while in New York
seersse. Including usie and female opera
-, vas trosntsi % SIS ranra than Annhia fhn