Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-02
IT'S MPRACTICABLE.
so DR.. KORYIK GREEN SAYS.
His Views on the Contemplated Postal
Scheme.
SOME FACTS ABOUT RIVAL LINES.
Long and Learned Discussion Of Telegraphy
in General.

in General.
WASHINGTON, March DIR. Norvin
Green, President of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, to-day continued his
statement respecting the pending postal
telegraph bill. before the House Commit
tee on Postoffices and Post Roads.
Respecting rates generally DR.. Green
said that they were about one-half of those
prevailing twenty-five years ago. The
ratio between our own and the British
rates was as 25 cents to 20 cents. The
Postmaster General
PROPOSED TO REDUCE
the rates one-half, and this in the face of
the fact that the British system had been
operated with a deficit of $11, 800. 300 in
the past eleven years, and probably $50 =
600, 900 since its establishment.
DR.. Green presented figures to show that
the actual cost to the Western Union Of
handling business was % cents a mes
sage. Taking up the details of the Pest
master Generals plan, he said that at
many of the postoficss there would not be
sufficient telegraph business to pay ex-
psnses 1t had been suggested that the
postmasters at these offices might learn to
work the wires; but they would not do so.
as they were
USUALLY BUSINESS MEN
and fully employed in caring for their
shops. Then special corps of operators
would have to be organic ed in the large
cities, and they would have to be placed
in rooms separate from the postoffice to
preserve the secresy of the messages. Large
battery rooms would have to be procured,
and, altogether, the present postoffice
buildings could not be made to accommo.
date the telegraph system.
All of the smaller and new companies
were under a much larger proportionste
expense than the Western Union, which
handled over 100, 900 messages a day at
New York alone. 1t was cheaper to do a
large business than a small one. An
operator could not be made in O year.
Operators had to have eight or ten years
experience before they could be trusted to
manage heavy wire.
DR.. Green presented figures to show the
actual cost to the Western Union of hand
ling business was 22.4 cents a message.
DR.. Green made a comparison between
our domestic telegraph rates with those in
Europe, showing that for all distances
over 500 miles our rates were much lower.
Yet, said he, the Postmaster General
would establish uniform rate for 1900
miles distance, over which
NO SINGLE WIRE
had ever been successfully worked. AS
10 the lower rates, the Western Union had
never fought opposition companies with
low rates; the opposition companies had
usually butted against the Western Union.
The last formidable competitor it had was
the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph
Company. They had started in to smash
things and it had done il. That company
had ruined three competing companies,
had ruined itself and 80 nearly ruined the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
that it had bsen obliged to sell its sleeping
cars and construction shops to tide over the
financial stress. That was the last of the
low rate fights. The Baltimore and Ohio
Telegraph Company had paid on large
class of business as high as II cents per
message for commission and for collecting
messages, leaving out operators salaries
and wire maintenance. The average cost
of handling their messages was % cents,
and the average charge was 1914 cents.
The Postmaster General in his order fixing
rates for Government business
HAD MADE AN ORDER
which the Board of Directors Of the West
ern U nion had decided was practically an
order of copfscatiou of their business.
The Doctor became somewhat excited at
this point, and looking hard a. Postmaster
General Wanamaker, who stesdfastly re-
turned the gsze, he exclaimed: And yet
he saws that he ia on first rate terms with
the teleers ph companies. He may con-
grstulate himself that he can smile and
smile and murder while he smiles. We
propose to cOntrovert that order liking
the rates for government messsges) In the
courts. and to demonstrate that it is not
/ one-half the cost of the service. We have
not received a dollar for that service since
July last; we would not accept the rate,
DR.. Green-The Postmaster General has
between so OOO and 100, 600 civil appoint
ments TO make and every member has two
or three in his district
Mr.. Crain-I am a Democrat and get
none from him. My only objection to the
Postmaster General is his politics.
Then addressing himself to the subject
of the pending bill Mr.. Grain asked II
DIR. GREENS OBJECTION
o. hasod IN the sssumptiOn that il
proyided for the erection and maintenance
o. government lines.
DIR. Green replied that that was what 1t
amounted to; that would be the result.
Mr.. Grain asked why the Western Un-
ion opposed the bill if it proposed an i'm
practicable plan.
DIR. Green Because the fools are not all
dead yet. A great many people would
lump into build new telegraph lines with
out assurance that they could make any
thing. Mr.. Grain remarked this objection
seemed to be that the Western Union COM
pany would not be helped bat the people
would be. Dr. Green replied that GER
tain class of people would be benefited II
thew could send messages at one cent word
or one mill as originally propose 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.