Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-02
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The Western Unions President Imparts
Much Information
Regarding Telegraph Lines and Tolls to the
Communicable Company, he Asserts,
Could Stand the Reduction.

and poet roads and was questioned re-
speeding the proposed government tele-
graph bill advocated by Postmaster
General Wanamaker. The inquiry pro-
ceeded as follows:
Mr.. Bingham-Dr. Green, 1 would
like TO ask you this question for my
own information. Can you give me in
any form the difference in your rates and
the rates specified in the bill which 1
handed you this morning, which 1 re-
ceived yesterday from the postofice de-
partment?
Mr.. Green-These rates would be about
GO per cent. of ours for the first 300
miles. For the next rate the difference
would be from 60 per cent. to 90
per cent; most of It would
be 80 per cent. For transcontinental
distance part would be Sc per cent, as
for instance, our rate from Chicago and
st. LOUIS and every place west to the
Pacific coast is seventy-flve cents, and
this would be thirty cents cut for great
part of it would be fifty cents as against
81. For instance our rates from New
York to San Francisco are 81, and the
maximum rate in that bill is fifty cents,
SO that the rate would be 90 per cent. of
our rate for short distance and go to 80
per cent. for intermediate distances and
80 to so Tor long distances, but the
greater part of it is at so pei cent.
Mr.. Bingham-When you make that
sta ement do you take into consideration
the fact that upon each message the gov
eminent is to receive two cents?
Mr.. Green-That, L understand, comes
out OF the rates.
Mr.. Bingham-You have taken that
into consideration?
MIR. Green-Yes, sir; that comes out of
these rates and secures the delivery,
which costs us fraction over two cents,
about two and three-eighth cents mes
sage all over the country. 1t costs my
company ali of rs per cent. to do our
business, and that I desire to demon
strate against the criticism of Mr.. Hub
bard. If the rates were reduced to 60
per cent the business would necessarily
be done at a loss.
Mr. Bingham-Then the rate as set
forth in this bill, from your knowledge
of rates upon their face, will entail an
absolute loss?
Mr.. Green-An absolute loss, and that
statement would be sustained by any
practical telegraph man in the country.
The business would only be done at loss
which would have to be paid in some
way.
Mr.. Bingham-Could your company
bid, under the conditions of this bill?
Mr.. Green-We could not accept the
rates. We would be doing business at
loss if We accepted these rates. There is
no business in the United States, that 1
know of, that could stand such reduc-
nFr obi
monopoly in the country is the telephone.
They have perfect monopoly. The
Western Union telegraph company is
not a monopoly. Anybody can build
a telegraph line and anybody can
operate it, but nobody can build a
telephone line unless they have a
license from the American Bell telephone
company. A reduction of 40 per cent.
would close every telephone exchange in
this country. Large as their profits are
there is not one of them, or at least very
few of them, that would not have to
close on reduction of 25 per cent.
There is not a manufacturer and there is
not business in the country that know
of that could stand reduction of that
rate.
Mr.. Bingham What other telegraph
companies are there other than the West
ern Union?
Mr.. Green-The Postal Telegraph COM
psny is quite large concern. They are
pushing on TO New Orleans and to Texas.
They will be there very soon. They are
already at Charleston and Savannah.
They are already at Minneapolis, st.
Paul and Duluth. They will soon be ct
Denver and Omaha. In addition to that
Mr.. Mackey has a separate system which
covers the Pacific coast states pretty
generally.
Mr.. Blngham-Is that another COM
pany?
Mr.. Green-It's another company, but
1t belongs to the same men.
Mr.. Bingham-How do their rates
compare with your rates?
Mr.. Green-They have agreed with us
to maintain rates. There is, however,
nothing extraordinary in that The
railroads have TO do that to keep from
going into bankruptcy. Every manu-
featuring company in the country con-
suits tier competitors about maintain
ing rates and agrees upon them. All the
rolling mills have agreed to maintain
rates as have the carpet and other man
ufaoturers. II is an absolute necessity to
prevent destruction from wasteful COM
petition. &c.
Mr.. Bingham-what other companies
are there?
Mr.. Green-There are a great many
more companies. My friend, Mr.. Paint
er, has got little telegraph line and up
In Pennsylvania there is an independent
company. There is an independent com
pany up in the Adirondacks, The Great
Northwestern OF Canada runs over to the
United States. We can handle business
cheaper than any other company can
handle small business because we han
die great deal more in the same office
and great deal more with the same
clerks. There is very important mat
ter TO my company, which have not
taken up before and that is the criticism
of the Western Union made by the post
master general in his annual report. 1
am very anxious to be heard before the
committee upon this very unjust and I'M
1sir statement
The postmsster-gensral says that he
discovered that the government was pay
ing for services which were rendered to
the public free, and he would have the
president and this committee of congress
believe they have been dreadfnlly i'm
posed upon and that all of his predeoes-
sorc were either stupid or connived at
building m the Western Union telegraph
company; whereas, in point of fact, 1
have exhibits TO show that at the old