The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-02

cause he wanted 10 vote intelligently upon
the proposition.
DIR. Green-The Postmaster General has
between so. 600 and 100000 civil appoint
ments to make, and every member has two
or three in his district
Mr.. Crain-I ana a democrat, and get
none from him. My only objectlon to the
Postmaster General Is his politics
Then addressing himself 10 the subject Of
the pending bill, Mr.. Grain asked il DIR.
Green's objections was not ba- ed on the
assumption that it provided for the erection
and maintenance of government lines.
DR.. Green replied that that was what it
amounted TO; that would be the result.
Mr.. Grain asked why the Western Union
opposed the bill if 1t proposed an impracti-
cable plan.
DIR. Green-Because the fools are not all
dead yet. A great many people would
jump in to build telegraph lines without as
surance that they could make anything.
TRYING TO CORNER THE DOCTOR
Mr.. Grain remarked that this direction
seemed to be that the Western Union COM
pany would not be helped but the people
would be. DIR. Green replied that certain
class of people would be benef ed il they
could send messages at cent word, or at
one mill, as originally proposed by the
Postmaster General. But the benefit would
be confined to per cent. of the people and
that at the cost of the governments.
Mr.. Grain rejoined that the bill did not
propose that the government should meet
the cost. The sender of the message was to
pay the entire expense.
DR.. Green replied that the bill did not
propose anything of the sort; that was his
objection. The sender would pay fixed
rate, which would be insufficient.
But, said Mr.. Grain, it authorizes the gov
ernment to contract with the teleg aph
companies for service at dxed rate. If it
was losing rate the companies would be
the losers, not the people.
DIR. Green replied that 1t was a matter Of
opinion as to the result, and the committee
would ses by experience that his view was
right.
QUESTION THAT WAS EvADED.
Mr.. Crain-You say English operators
receive but one half of the salaries paid to
your operators2 Don't they employ twice
as many men to do the workl
DR.. Green--I say it will take twice as
many in this country If the government
does the work.
Chairman Bingham, addressing DIR. Green,
Postmaster Generals: "The Postmaster
General is here by the same invitation as
you are-to discuss half dozen bills re-
ferred to the House for its action. The
Postmaster General has not coac ed the
committee, nor does the committee propose
to be coached by any one."
Mr.. Gambler added that when the COM
mittee found that but one million out of
s., 900, 900 people were using the telegraph,
it believed it to be a matter of duty to see
how its use could be extended 1t was an
improvement upon the older system of mail
communication, and the people should be
offered every opportunity to use it. 1t
seemed to him that DR.. Green had an un-
Just conception of the Postmaster Generals
position when he assumed that he was at
tacking the Western Union Telegraph
Company.
OBJECT OF THE GOVERNMENT.
Influence which had been in the commit
tee, and probably in the mind of the Post
master General, ws.s for the attainment of
an advantage higher and more important to
the mass of the people than might be sup
posed from some things that had been said.
DIR. Green replied that this country was a
great agricultural country. Farmers and
artisans had no occasion to use theqstele-
telegraph if they could do it for 8 cents.
The bulk of the business was commercial or
speculative.
Mr.. Gambler could not agree with this
proposition. He believed that every man
in this country was interested in cheap
telegraphy.
This concluded Dr. Green's testimony.
and the committee listened to the reading
of a statement by Mr.. Barnum, represent
ing the Visual Synchronism Telegraph
Company, in favor Of the Postmaster Gem
erals plan, until noon arrived, when 1t
adjourned.