Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-02-07

would employ an operator to give
all Of his time to the telegraph.
There would lie no overcbarge by
thrifty operators. The charges for
postal kilograms could he e9sily
understood. There are but thres
separate tariffs named, Is, IS and so
cents for the first twenty words
One cent per word Is charged in all
cases for additional words.
"If an insufficient value Of stamps
should be affixed, the deficit would
be collected from addresses provided
at least Is cents should be prepaid
IF stamps Of less than the minimum
amount (l5 cents were affixed, the
communication could he forwarded
by mail Tne bill would protect
both the pOstoffice department and
the public, and would provide for a
class Of correspondence that gener
ally speaking, would not be put
upon the wires at the high rates
now prevailing.
81 can not be made tO believe that
this union Of the telegraph and the
postal service, wheleby each would
80 distinctly lessen the burden OF
work Of the other, will not appeal
to the ingenuity, the enterprise,
and the good sense of the American
people the moment they understand
it.
81 am sure 1t is easily susceptI-
ble Of proof that this convenient,
safe, and quick service would be
very generally used. We use pos.
tai card for brief communications
and run the inappreciable risk
Of having the contents known
to persons other than the addresses;
by paying twice the price of postal
card we can convey u whole ounce
Of written matter under seal; and
by paying ten cents more, we can
secure an immediate delivery. In
the case Of telegraph it Is true, there
IL already deferred service u,
night, for which about two-thirds or
three-fourths Of the full rate il
charged, depending upon the mum
ber Of words transmitted, and de-
| Iivart, kainn mad, an tI. ,,.,yt .,,,
ceeding business morning; aud IL
has been argued with some show OF
reason that the small number of
night messages compared with
those sent at day rates Is evidence
that the public demands quick
rather than cheap telegraphic ser.
vice; and that any effort largely to
increase the volume Of telegraphic
business by means Of much cheaper
rates, for deferred service would
only result in loss, for the reason
that the expense of performing that
service would increase in substan-
TALLY the same ratio with the vol
ume Of business"
The postmaster general contends
that there could be no possible in.
justice done to private corporations
by the operation Of his propositions,
a' the Western Union telegraph
company would undoubtedly be
one of the sharpest bidders, If not
the most successful In bidding for
the postal telegraph service. H.
acknowledges that there would be
a probability Of II new and powerful
company coming into competition
and springing into existence by vir-
tue OF the government patronage,
as IA proposed new company would
be Legitimate bidder If IL were
shown that the incorporators were
responsible parties. Ho contend,
further, that no impersonal or un-
selfish objection can he raised TO
this plan, inasmuch as in every in-
stance the people would get ns good
service as they have at present, at
rates averaging 80 per cent less than
is now paid. Beside the statement
that one-third the expense of tele-
graphing comes from the employ.
ment of a service similar to that
which would be had by the employ
ment Of free delivery service, the an
nouncement Il made by the post.
master.general that there In IL profit
OF something like forty cents for
each message now handled by the |
telegraph companies, aud that II |
were paid upon the actu-
al outlay In the way OF llpes aud |
offices, they would aggregate nearly
100 per cent II year.
The Problem folVed.-Au Inrt.nl.h