The Washington times., 1894-05-30
POSTAL, TELEeRApHY.

4VoAhA 46A60nh4
Postmaster General Bissell yesterday ad-
dressed letter to Chairman Wise, Of the
House Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce, in which he declared his opposi-
tion to postal telegraphy. The meat OF the
letter is in the concluding paragraph, which
is as follows:
~ believe the incorporation of the postal
telegraph with the mail service of this coun-
try would add enormously to the annual de-
felt without correspondingly advancing the
interests of the public, and it is, therefore, my
judgment that bill H. R. 447s ought not to be-
come law"
As the bill in question is before the Post
Office Committee, and not the Interstate
Commerce Committee, Mr.. Bissell's reasons
for addressing his communication to Mr..
Wise, instead Of to Mr.. Henderson, chairman
OF the committee having the matter in charge,
are not apparent. But let that pass.
In the first part of his letter the Post
master General argues against a "limited
post and telegraph service" although, SO far
as We are aware, there is no bill for any such
purpose before any committee Of the present
Congress. Except the paragraph qupfed,
the letter is an argument against the Wanna
maker bill of four years ago, and does not ah
the slightest degree touch either of the two
bills now before the House Post Office Com
mittee, and on which hearings have already
been given.
House bill 447S provides for telegraphic
system to be owned and controlled by the
government, and operated in connection with
the Post Office Department. 1t was framed
by committee appointed by the president OF
the International Typographical Union, and
the measure is supported by every organized
body of workingmen in the country and by
hundreds of thousands OF citizens of all
classes, who have sent in stacks of resolu-
tions and petitions in its behalf, which are
now in possession of the committee.
The Postmaster General bases his opposi-
ton mainly on the ground that it would be a
costly experiment. He tacitly admits that
postal telegraphy ''has proved a source OF
profit elsewhere" but doubts THAT it would at
once become equally profitable in this coun-
try. The conditions are not the same here as
in England or Germany"
Mr.. Bissell does not want the government
to touch anything that will not pay its own
way. There is deficit of large amount
every year in the department over which he
presides, and by a parity of reasoning the
carrying of the mails ought to be surren-
dered by the government and turned over to
any corporation willing to undertake it, and
with full power to charge such rates as they
please, as is now done by the telegraph
monopoly.
The reasons for the postal deficit are well
known. From so ZOO, 900 to 100, ,000, 900 pound
of mail matter belonging to the various e1ecu-
tive departments are carried free every year,
and are chargeable to the Postoffice Depart
ment. The newspapers of the country are
transmitted at rates that do not pay the cost
of transportation. Did the former pay the
same rates as other mail matter and the latter
actual cost, there would be little, if any, short
age.
The telegraph business of this country Is not
one-fourth what it ought to or would be If
tho element of profit were eliminated. The
Western Union Company has drawn from the
people $3.50 900, 900 in profits since 1866, one
half of which might have been saved under
governmental operation.
Nearly every one of Mr.. Bisselrs predeces-
sors since 1s47 has advocated some form of
governmental control. The telegraph has
a natural affinity to the postal service. More
people now understand the question and are
clamoring for the speedy annexation of the
telegraph by the government. They believe
that present charges could be reduced ones
half and governmental system be self-sus-
tanning.
The labor organizations purpose making
governmental telegraphy a political issue,
and in taking this stand they will have the
cordial support of hundreds Of thousands of
other voters. These will be heard from in
the nominating conventions and in the cleo
tions next Fall.