Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-12
SATURDAY.. IL, 1890.
The Postal Telegraph.

Are confident that for the Government to
lease telegraph lines will only be 20 post
none for few years the establishment OF
new lines as a part Of the postal system OF
the Union. The telegraph will certainly
he part of the system before long. III IS
written in the book Of fate that the people
are soon TO have kilograms delivered to them
as cheaply in proportion rs letters and pa
pers are now delivered to them.
One of the experts who appeared IN
Washington city on the 18th OF last month
before the Committee on Post-Ofices and
Post-Roads. TO aid in informing that COM
mittee as TO the merits of the proposition
of Postmaster-General WANAMAKER TO
make contracts with the existing tele-
Crphic lines for transmitting kilograms,
was Mr.. EDWARD RosEwATER. of Omaha,
Neh. He is the editor and chief proprietor OF
tho Omaha Bee He was for thirteen years
actively engaged in the telegraph service;
for more than two years IN the military
telegraph corps. and part of that time
in the field, and for nearly year
in the War Department. He was for seven
years manager Of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company at Omaha. and for one
year manager of the Atlantic and Pacific
and Great Western lines. We get these
details from the testimony of Mr.. RosE-
WATER as il appears in the pamphlet con
tanning the report Of the proceedings OF
the Post-Offce Committee in connection
with the ostmaster-GeneraFs proposition
above alluded TO.
What saws this expert? He says that for
more than twenty-five years he has been
firmly convinced that the safety of the
Government demands the control of the
telegraph system by one of the branches
of the Government. This is rather sim
eular remark, seeing that the Post-Ofhce
Department is the only branch of the
Government" which could properly con-
troll the telegraph system. Mr.. RosEwATER
must have been thinking Of war times
when he made that remark. He afterwards
said that with what knowledge he had Of
the telegraph he would rather trust the
Government of the United States than any
private corporation or any manager of any
private corporation. Here, too, MIR. RosE-
WATER seems to have had the eXigencies of
war in his mind; but his remark suggests
that whether the Government takes con-
troll Of the telegraph system now or not, it
will be sure to do so whenever 1t shall deem
it necessary to take that step.
MIR. RosEwATER suggested to the COM
mittee that a rate of ten or fifteen cents
would be remuneratiye TO the Government
or TO anybody else who was working the
40 A 4
words, but we suppose he had reference to
messages of mot moreEthan ten words
these to be sent anywhere in the Union.
In this connection the following will be
found interesting. We learn from Mr..
RosEwArEB's testimony or talk, that at the
eighth annual meeting Of the National
Board Of Trade heidi Washington in 1888,
Dir. PoPR, Chicago merchant, mado an
exhibit of what their experience had been
in running q cheap telegraph service be-
tween Chicago and Milwaukee. The West
ern Union was charging them for messages
between Chicago and Milwaukee 20 cents
for ten words, so they established system
of their own between those cities.
Mr.. PORK said:
I'VE were not allowed to build our lines
along the railroads on account of some sort
of Free Masonry existing between the rail
road companies and the Western Union
Company, and we had 10 resort to the COM
mon highway. After we had built our line
we reduced the rate from 20 cents TO 10
cents. Immediately upon our doing so the
Western Union reduced its rates from 20
cents TO cents. With that 5-cent rate
AGAINST us we paid "A dividend IN one year
as high as 40 per cent, aud in two years we
wiped out the entire cost OF the capital
stock of that line that is to say, the whole
sum was refunded to us"
That is not theory, but experience. MIR.
RosEwATER said:
Now, this is from the practical stand
point aud Will not be gainsaid. The fact is
that the consultations which have always
followed competition between telegraph
companies in this country have made the
plants of the companies excessively costly
while upon the capitalization which these
plants represent the dividend would seem
10 be rather small. 1t is notorious. how
ever that there have been enormous profits
accumulated IN this business"
Mr.. RosEwArER further said;
There is another point would like 10
call attention 10 as one of the reasons why
the Government should have II postal tele-
graph. Within the last twenty wears there
have been two great strikes, which extend
ed all the way from Newfoundland To
Portland. Ore These strikes, of course.
are caused by dissatisfaction among the
employees of the telegraph company, and
they paralyze commerce and industry.
They really wrought an incalculable
amount Of damage. ] think that the Gov
e.nment employees would never strike.
You have never heard of the railway mail
agents going on strike or OF the carrier
delivery going on strike, for the very
reason that they have chance for an APP
peal. and that the Government has laws
which prevent combinations OF that
character and makes IT penal offence"
MR. WILSON said the post-offico en-
ployes had struck in bis town.
We quote from the committees report:
Mr.. Bingham: Let me ask you right
here. You make a general statement with
reference to no special bill. Do you adyo-
cate the Government controlling the tele-
graph service OF the country?
Mr.. kosewater: Yes. SIT.
Mr.. Bingham Perhaps the best COMPARE
Son can be made with the administration
OF the Post-0hice Department to-day. And
now make comparison, as you would
make one between any of the two services
Of the Govcrnment-that is, between the
telegraph and the postal service. DO YOU
think II would be cheaper service for the
people than is now conducted by the West
cru Uniony
Mr.. Roscwater l think ii would be
cheaper and very much more efficient
service.
Mr.. RosEwATER wants the Government
70 control the telegraph service. but we do
not understand that he would have the
Government own all the lines.
We repeat that this Is an interesting and
important subject.
General HascocE's remark that the tariff