Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-27
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
Anxiety Felt to the Postmaster
Generals stand on the Question.

Anxiety Felt as to the Postmaster
Generals stand on the Question.
The supreme topic in postal circles today
% the postal telegraph. Officials are in the
dark as to what the Postmaster General
will say on this subject. They are eager
for light. Mr.. Bissell seems to have taken
no one into his confidence. He has been
strangely reticent on this theme, on which
nearly all his predecessors have written
talked and thought In 1916 Hon
Cave johnson, who was postmaster gen.
eral under President Polk, said in his re-
port that it was a question of grave i'm
portance as TO how far the government
should allow individuals to divide with it
the business of transmitting intelligence
an important duty. committed to the gov
ernment by the Constitution" The use
OF an instrument. said MIR. Johnson, so
powerful for good or evil cannot with
safety to the people. be left in the hands of
private individuals. Nearly all Postmaster
Generals from johnson down have sought
to impress similar ideas on Congress Mr.
Wanamaker urged its consideration, as he
said, mot for revenue to the department
but for the public good" He thought that
the fast express train was a mighty ad-
vance over the mail pony, but telegraph
line which would carry letter from New
York to Chicago in an instant, rather than
day, would be even greater stride in
progress. MIR. Wanamaker was convinced
that the government could never properly
do the postal work committed to II till IL
should adopt electricity in some form He
urged The adoption of the telephone and the
telegraph by the department at the earliest
practicable day. To receive letters and
then store them away for shipment in bulk
once day. or even oftener, seemed to Mr.
Nanamaker an antique business method
large part of the mails must always 20
by locomotive vehicle, but a considerable
part OF them needed quicker transit. The
telegraph monopoly seemed to get further
away from the people as time went by
Many telegraph companies had been es-
tablished from time to time, but today there
were but two independent telegraph or
ganizattons. The electric telegraph was a
growing rival to the Post Ofice Department
In the message-carrying business. The cost
OF electric messages might be indefinitely
decreased, because 1t had been shown by
the statement of the companies that the
increased expenses We're less than two
thirds OF the increased revenue. He thought
that company might make money by
sending twentyword message to any
part Of the country for twenty-five cents
The Increase of business would be SO large
that the profits would be great as now
Mr.. Wanamaker did not advocate the pur-
chase or construction of telegraph lines by
the government. His proposition was 10
make contract with some company to con-
meet post offices by telegraph or telephone
commencing with the most important offices
and proceeding in the order of proba Bile
usefulness. He would reduce the cost of
kilograms by the use of post Office build
inSs. and in collateral ways. In this plan
there was no government ownership or in
creased civil list He favored the use Of a
telegraph stamp after the order of the spe-
cial delivery stamp, and then the message
would be hastened to its destination by
wire. In 1sH Henry Clay advocated the
government ownership of the telegraph,
saying that such an engine should be ex-
clusively under the control Of the govern
ment.