Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1892-01-14

bing spectators. As an inevita BILE
consequence, the Western Union COM
pany. that has swallowed more than
sixty big and small competitors, is
periodically overstocked with needless
wires between great commercial GEN.
tiers which usually offer the most
tempting field for enterprising men
who build lines to sell out while there
has always been lamentable lack of
telegraph facilities ut small cities and
towns that are made dependent entire
~ upon the congested railroad wires.
Our telegraph companies never main
tain an office where the receipts 90
not Offset the expenses. Such a pol
icy is not pursued in countries that
possess postal telegraph facilities. be-
cause the government is at no addi-
tional expense for rent and postmast-
ers in small towns and cities are re-
quired to perform the duties OF tele-
graph operators.
Nothing has impressed upon me
more forcibly the dangerous tendencies
of telegraph imitation and over capital
ization than the comparative exhibit
OF the worlds telegraph system SUBJ
mitted to congress last winter by the
president OF the Western Union Tele-
graph company. According to DR..
Green this country has 1855. 900 miles
OF telegraph pole line as against 375,
600 miles possessed by all other coun-
tries in the world. There are CTS, 900
miles OF wire in the United States. as
against l. Ill. 96S miles in all other
countries, and there are in America
Is, 900 telegraph stations, against 53,-
900 in all other countries. Mr.. Green
computes the aggregate number of
kilograms handled annually in this
country at q fraction over 60. 900. 600,
while he credits the rest of the world
with handling IT'S, 900. 900 kilograms.
AS matter OF fact the aggregate num-
Der Of kilograms handled in European
countries alone, computed officially
for the year 1885, is 2O4, $50, O55.
What do these figures show? With one
halt OF the worlds telegraph line mile
age. American telegraph companies
should have handled one-half OF the
business, Instead of handling 102,-
900. 600 telegrams they only handled
Co. 600. 600. With one-half OF the tel
egraph lines in a country that boasts
two-thirds OF the railway mileage OF
the world. America should have her
full quota OF the worlds telegraph sta
tions, but out of So, 900 we only have
49, 600, including railroad Offices
which comprise nearly three-fourths
Of our telegraph stations. On the
other hand, Great Britain, with less
than one-third OF the wire mileage of
the United States, handled 62, 4O3. 397
kilograms in 1890. DO not these fig
ures demonstrate that the periodic ac-
QUESTION OF lines built for speculation
prevents the economic working of our
system by clogging it with useless
wires and will always operate as q
barrier to material reduction to our
tolls? Our telegraph COM
panies adjust these tolls on the basis
Of q capitalization which at this time
already includes from $40. 900. 900 to
$50, 900. 600 Of stocks and bonds issued
for speculative plants.
GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPHs OF EUROPE.
Let US now take cusory survey of
the government telegraphs abroad. l
trust that violate no confidence in
stating that before emoarking for Eu-
rope last summer / procured letters OF
from Postmaster General
to the postmasters gen.
eral OF England. France. Germany and
Austria, coupled with request that
their respective departments extend to
me facilities for making inquiry into
the practical operation OF their sys-
TENS Of telegraph. This invessiga-
ton was self-imposed task. / have
for more than u quarter Of a century
been an outspoKen advocate OF the
postal telegraph and desired to see for
myself how it worked in foreign couu-
tries, Upon presentation OF my cre-
dentials, was everywhere accorded
the most courteous reception. The
chiefs Of the telegraph bureau, telegraph
engineers and superiLtendents took
pains to exhibit the operating rooms,
batteries. and appliances
in use, explained to me the methods
pursued in handling dispatches, and
freely answered all inquiries concern
ing construction Of lines subwaya
office regulations, number and quail.
location OF employees working houa
wages, etc. They also furnished me
sample telegraph blanks and Official
relating to the management
sxtent Of plants and business done.
GREAT BRIrAIN's SYSTEM.
The first step toward merging the
system of Great Britain with
The postal service was taken in 1868,
when parliament passed an net author
zing the purchase or leasing OF all
ines operated by private companies.
The proposition to establish postal
HAD been vigorously opposed |
~ the telegraph companies at every
'tep, and when the transfer finally was
made the government came into pos
'ession OF q conglomerate system of |
ines which had been allowed to run
Town by the companies from the time
parliament had voted to take them out
II their hands. The act OF 1868 fixed
he uniform rate of shilling (25 cents)