The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-03-31
fully said to be independent?

service. A very large portion of its
offices are in railroad stations. The
operator in one Of these Offices is en-
ployed by the railroad company, and is
expected to give railroad work prefer
ence. In order to do 80 he is often
obliged to neglect the Western Union
for hours in succession. This III many
cases, makes the Geographic service
even slower than the mails. A pro-
test is always met with the stereotyp-
ed statement: .We make 10 agree
ment to get yonr message through iii Il
! specified time" q
Careful investigation shows that the
| Western Union favors one class of
business and willfuily neglccts to do
justice to another. Certain business
most notably brokers messages, has
special rights over everything else.
The operator who is sending death
messages, messages that summon chill
dren to the bedside of dying parents
or transact the legitimate business of
merchants and manufacturers, is often
compelled to lay them aside. in order
that the wires may be used for the
business of Il trust. Il monopoly or a
ring of spectators.
Many broker companies have wires
for use daring few hours in the mid
die of the day. The leading practice
has grown to such proportions with
the Western Union us to make it i'm
possible for the regular volume of legit-
innate business TO be handled readily
with the few wires retained for that
purpose. What is the consequences?
From 8 Il. IN. till 3 p. N. there is Il
large accumulation of business in re-
peating offices. The brokers' wires
are then free, and they are manned to
handle the business which has been
obliged to wait.
Telegrtphy is u pr,fes ion. Ask
any telegrapier i'll the union if lie lie
lieyes the Western Union company
has the power 10 secure his discharge
and prevent his being employed by
broker, railroad or other teieglapi,
company, and he will tell you he sup
posed everybody knew it had! Thinks
of the thousands of telegrapheIs who
must work there as many hours and
| for AS low salaries as may suit the con-
| venience and pleasure of this great
monopoly, or suffer the loss OF All op-
portunity to practice their profession
at AL!
l shall consider but one objection to
governmental operation of this service.
| \ moments unprejutliced thought will
settle all others. 1t is said that the
party i'll power could keep itself i'll
formed rs to what was going on owe"
the wires, and thus exercise an undue
influence over political and business
affairs. This objection was put to me
by Il telegraph man, one vino ought to
know Letter. asked him if he
hsd any reason for believing that i,
/ telegrapher III the employ of the gov
eminent could be more easily induced
to divulge the secrets with which his
work could acquaint him, than could i,
n telegrapher in the employ Of mo
nopoly. 1 asked him if he would ex-
PLAIN why IL government employee would
be more likely to understand the sig
nifcance Of cipher message than
would the employee of Il private corpo-
| ration.
Outside of the United States and
Canada n.nety-iive per cent of the
governments of the world own and
operate their telegraph. AS a rule the
change from private to public owner
ship has caused rates to go down and
wages to 60 up. The decrease in the
charges for service has averaged about
fifty per cent. This reduction has
never failed to. increase the volume of
business from, 100 to 1000 per cent.
1t is also a significant fact that this
large increase Of business has been ac-
companied by q correspondingly large
increase in the operating expenses.