The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-03-18

Tie present acknowledgement
would join the electric wire to tile pos
tai department, connecting telegraph
and POstofices, and by reducing rates
to something like a parallel with other
countries, depend upon increased
patronage to maintain tie service.
y recent estimate, upon statistics
given by the president of the Western
Union, bears out tins view. The sta
tistics show that theUnited States has
ls5, 900 miles of telegraph pole line,
against 375 600 miles owned by all
other countries The next figures give
rise to a calculation certainly not COLI
templated by the Western Union sta
tistician. The number Of telegrams
handled per unHum in this country are
given at so ,OOO, 900, while those ham
died by all other countries are 49,
600, GOO. The plain deduction is that
with ii mileage equal to half that of
the rest of tile whole world this cOun-
try handles but little over OHe-third as
many kilograms, where she should
handle half as many as all the other
countries. The Western Unions fig
ures are consequently not its own best
friends.
Another recent computation made
by a newspaper editor, also an ex-
telegraph operator states that tile peo-
pie Of this country are annually pay
ing So, 900, 600 to telegraph computes.
This amount is the interest on a cap
itaI with which the government could
build s. telegraph system OF its own.
In England, whose population is thir-
ty-eight to our sixty-tllree millions, tele-
grams for one year were nearly two for
each person, while in our country they
were less than one to a person. Eng
lish distances being so incomparably
shorter than American, the appreci-
alton by English people OF the uses of
the telegraph proves itself vastly q eat
er than our own. America is pre-
emiBeutly the country in which postal
and telegraph facilities should go hand
in hand; as matter of fact, Offices OF
the former number over three 20 one
Of the latter.
The link still wanted to complete
the circuit transmitting intelligence as
rapidly as is done in other countries is
the telephone. The expiration of the
telephone patent, which will occur in
March '9s, will, without interference
witness its renewal for long years, OF
the probable consolidation of all the
plants under one giant monopoly At
whose dictates the public will hive to
bow. The acknowledgement be
Iieves every postofice should be tied
by telephone 20 the nearest telegraph
station with which tie remotest resi-
dent may, for three cents, put himself
/ in connection with the movements of
/ stock or produce market, and the citi-
4 zen in touch with the events Of the
day. The benefits from cheap teIe-
phone and telegraph service united
with the postal system, would Undoubt
eddy be a gigantic stride toward equal
1 izing the disadvantages against which
country life has now to struggle, Tit
dream is tUUOpian, being in all othe
advanced countries a JGit Gcc0mDii.
Another measure emanating from
the postmaster having no depart
mental or party bearing is proposed a
an economical expsdient. This is til,
postal savings bank idea, prejudice
!. against which probably arises from
Ignorance. II is believed by many 4
be iuimIcal TO other savings banks
The plan outlined at present is q
make POst0mces n depository for sum
J not less than 81, at a rate One-haIf pc
cent. less than that current iH saving
banks. Funds thus accumulated ST
to lie sent to the treasury 10 be loaned
well secuted, to the national banks 0
/ the states from which they are sent
Amounts when reaching $500 or $500
, ars 70 be Withdrawn Thus tie bust
ness Of other savings banks which nos
refuse deposits so small as eOntem
plated, would be fed instead Of starVe
! out. Six hundred and thirty-sigh
z such postal Repositories are now OPe
ia Canada, holding so, 600, 600 OF tn
peoples capital Ten Thousand in Eng
land csrIy sI94-s00. 900 Of POOR PEG
pies savings With >uch an institu