The Louisiana populist., 1895-05-31

I
very low compared with over three
cents for the United States, but
the point is in their wide difference
from old rates under private COM
panies.
Do these governments make any
thing by such a cheap system!
Germany owns 23,2S5 miles of
road, which turned S250,OO0, 900
into the national treasury during
1895. All other countries opera
ting them receive handsome reve-
nues.
Now let us consider the financial
phase of the telegraph. The capi-
talized value of the Western Union
Telegraph Co., is 500, 900, 900,
but the real value is only 49,, ,00O,-
600. A dividend of from 100 to
800 per cent is yielded annually
on this watered stock.
$1,000 invested in 1853 would
already have yielded in dividends
$50, 900.
Great Britain once enjoyed the
sweets of our present system, but
it soon lost its flavor and made her
sick, she could not endure tyranny,
so on February 10th, 1870, by an
act of Parliament the telegraphs
were transferred to the Postal de-
partment.
The average rate for all MESA
ges in England is 27t cents; in the
United States 20 cents. The rates
in England were once as high as
they are here, but as soon as the
government took possession the
rates were reduced one half, and
the tariff nearly doubled the first
year.
The telegraph and telephone be-
ing a means for the transmission of
intelligence, are in truth part of
our postal system, and should be
operated as such. Our postal sys-
tenn was once operated by private
companies, and then the people
paid % cents for a letter. We
might expect almost similar adj
vantages to result from govern
mental ownership, That it would
bring great advantages Is proved
by the experience of almost every
nation on the globe
Henry Clay, Cyrus w. Field,
General Grant, and many of the
! best postmaster generals have advo-
Gated a government telegraph.
The great economist, Wannamaker,
said: "The rapid transmission of
correspondence is part of the
business and proper duty of the
postoffice department, and it does
not fulfil its function or perform
its full duty until it operates the
telegraphs, the most rapid means
of transmission of intelligence"
With governmental ownership
we would have a telegraph in every
village, which would be operated
by the postmaster with buta slight
additional cost. Every country Of
flee could have a telephone, which
might be extended to every home
for few dollars. The signal SER
vice would save millions by this.
Farmers would be warned of COM
ing storms, frosts, rains, etc., thus
saving many valuable crops. Peo-
pie could send for the Doctor, ask
about their freight, and thus 65,-
100000 people would enjoy this
great blessing where but two or
three millions now do.
The humane side of the question
is worth considering in an age
which is looking to the individual,
more and more. There are 5000
people killed and wounded in the
United States every year by rail
road trains. We have no concep-
ton of this great slaughter, unless
we suppose every person in Match
itoches, Baton Rouge, Alexandria,
Ruston, Monroe and Shreve-
port-suppose them all brought
to one place and some ma
chine invented to beat their
brains out, and tear their limbs
from their bodies, and then strew
from here to New Orleans. No
place on the way need one be more
than nine yards from a mangled
or MANNED body.
Should American railroads adopt
the automatic car coupler, and
make better crossings, this great
sacrifice to the god of greed would
no longer be. But alas! for the
blind alteration of the almighty
dollar, the honest American clti-
zen must suffer. The deaths are
about six times as numerous on