The Washington critic., 1890-02-18
POSTAL TELEGRAPHY.
MR.. WANAMAKER MORE FULLY EX-
PLAINS HIS POSITION.
President Chandler of the Postal Teie-
graph Company Also Appears BE-
fore the House Committee-Per-
sonal Feeling Disclaimed.
Bv gprcidi Iviye from Me c,n)loi.

sonar Fecllng DisClatmed.
By Special Fi,c from the cantor.
Postmaster General Wanamaker and
President A. b. Chandler of the Postal
Telegraph Company were Intercepted
by the members Of the House Commit
tee on Postoflices and Postroads to-day
on the subject of establishing limited
post and telegraph service.
Mr.. Wanamaker continued the state
ment begun by him before the com.
mittee last week. He said that his rela
tons with the telegraph company were
exceedingly pleasant. He had never
had any difficulty of Il personal character
with the Western Union.
In regard to the post and telegraph
scheme Mr. Wanamaker said that some
people would say "Is there personal
feeling behind this?" lie wanted 1t
distinctly understood there was no such
thing.
In regard 10 the bill submitted by
him, Mr.. Wanamaker said that he OPP
posed II only as n study. He had no
changes to offer except to suggest that
section Z, which fixes the rates for mes.
sages, mil ht be eliminated and the
power of fixing rates be vested in the
Postmaster. General
He said the civil service would CON
troll the new establishment, and recon-
mended that some penalty be provided
TO prevent the use of the wires for DO
litical purposes by officers and en-
ployes of the Government and Others
The difficulty of making contract
with some ilexibility in it, he said,
was not so great as 1t might seem
Mr.. Wapamaker in answer to questions
by members of the committee said he
thought the scheme would work to the
benefit of the telegraph companies by
giving them additional work, but the
companies differed with him. He had
believed all along that it would be
greatly TO the interest of the world to
contract with the Government.
Concerning q remark of Mr.. Wana-
makers that new company to do the
business required by the proposed
scheme could be organized, Mr.. Grain
OF the committee said that il looked to
him as if it would be much better for
the Government to put up its own lines
instead of allowing new company to
do the work.
The new company would be obliged
only to put up the poles and wires, while
the Government would furnish the
officers, instruments and operators.
Why could not the Government, asked
Mr.. Grain, put up the wires as well?
Mr.. Chandler outlined the extent of
the postal telegraph system. The rela-
| tions between the Western Union and
his company, he stated, were mutual "
protective, but there were no contract
relations between the two organizations
that need have any effect on the consid-
Grafton of the question at issue.
| The only agreement between the two
companies provides that a regular
schedule of rates between given points
should be maintained. His company
would be in position to make con
tract were the bill passed regardless Of
any contract with the Western Union
Company.
Mr.. Chandler admitted that if the
postal telegraph scheme became a slow
Geographic service, as intended by Mr..
Wanamaker, it might develop new
character of business. His company
could not do the work contemplated be-
tween the maximum rates fixed by the
Postmaster Generals bill.
The furnishing by the Government
! of operators, instruments and offices
would reduce the expense to the com
pany, but he was not certain that this
would allow the business to be done on
profitable basis. His company thinks
that the Government has no right to
establish service that might ruin a
company with seven or eight million
dollars invested.
Mr.. Wanamaker told the committee
something at this point about the
scheme to establish new telegraph
company to carry out the idea. He
thought there was no greater harm in
the Government, for the benefit of the
people, establishing u business than
have dozen other people do the same.
Mr.. Chandler said that the Postal
Telegraph Company was very much in
sympathy with the Postmaster General
in his desire to serve the public inter.
ests, but to the same extent that he was
because the Postmaster General was q
public officer and he was not.
His company wanted to favor the in
terests of the Government in every
proper way, but it did not want to sec
Government telegraph established
that would destroy seven or eight
million dollars which the Postal Com
pany had invested in their property
and make it valueless.
lie did not think the Government
had right to do that, and if it hat
that right he thought it would be un
just and very unreasonable. The com
miltee adjourned, TO meet to night at
o'clock, when Mr.. Chandler will con
tinue his statement.