The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-10-15

and telenhone are simply the electric
r,oiI or mail sent by electricity, just
aa the railway mail is sent by steam
agency in preference TO the horse
mower formerly used In b days OF
stage coaches and horseback riders and
canal boats.
when the government shall as
emma it's duty of sending the mail
bv electricity, railroad companies
can still operate their W telegraph
lines on their own business and private
toIenhone exchanges will still exist,
inst as railroads and others may now
send their own letters by their own
agents U. S. Rev. Stat. S3984), but
not carry them for others for hire.
U. S. Rev. Stat , S3982.) Then, as
now, the government would only have
the exclusive privilege of carrying mail
for hire. U. s. Rev. Stat. s 1890.
This privilege of carrying mail for hire,
whether sent by electricity or steam or
stage coach, or on horse back, is an ex-
elusive governmental function, and no
corporation or monopoly can legally
exercise any part of it. 1t is the duty
of the government to do it, and TO do
iG in the quickest and most eff Gent
manner, and at the lowest poss BILE
rate consistent with the cost.
The Army and Navy and the Depart
ment of Justice are departments of ex-
elusive governmental functions, in the
same manner and to exactly the same
extent as the ~pcstoffice. But suppose
that some branch of the Department of
Justice las by turning in the fines,
penalties and tax fees), or of the War
or Navy, could be made a source OF
revenue, would it not be singular to
turn over that revenue paying part OF
those departments to a private monop-
oily, leaving the people to support the
~non-profitable part? Yet that is exac ily
what is done with the Postoffice De-
partment. Though the postoffice is as
exclusively a governmental function
as the Army or Navy or the Depart
ment of Justice, the government
operates only the slow, antiquated non
paying part of the postofice, leaving
the taxpayers to make up an annual
deficit of six or eight millions; while
the rapid, improved, up to-date part of
the p~ostoffioe, the rapid or electric
mail, is operated by a private monopoly
and pays a heavy dividend on its
watered stock of $50 millions-ten
times the actual value its plant. Be
sides, this system is unjust, for the
private monopoly naturally selects the
best paying districts, and a large part
of the people are denied the advantages
of a modern postofice. In every coun
try, save ours alone, the power of the
Z monopoly has failed to maintain a sys-
tenn SO unconstitutional and 80 opposed
to the best interests of the public.
Hence, in every country except ours,
the telegraph and telephone are con
stituent parts of the postom 20, with
the double result that the postoffice
facilities of the telegraph and telephone
are extended to the country pOstOffices
and the postal revenues show a flrOft
instead of loss. Notably Great Britain,
which has most widely extended the
use of the telegraph and telephone as
a part of it's postCfice, shows a large
annual profit from it's p~ostoffice instead
of the deficit which was usual before
J the telegraph and telephone we're added
to that department by Mr. Gladstone
in 1870.
But there are those who say that the
-: telegraph and telephone would cen
tralize the government. Yet it would
, be hard to see why ar efficient postal
service is more c~entralizing than an in
! efficient one, or why mail sent by cleo
tricity or pneumatic tubes (Which
should be adopted in the large cities il
: more centralizing than mail sent by
horseback or by steam. 1t is a puzzle
9 understand why ownership of telegraph
or telephone wires costing less than $lC
Q per mile should imperil the govern
|, ment, more than the ownership o.
e gunboats. or postofice buildings, o.
r postal cars. If it were the question O
: adding new functions to the govern
8 ment, as the ownership Of railroads
s and the carrying of freight and pas
sengers, this argument would be G
8 legitimate for debate. But when the
/ Constitution has already turned ove1
the exclusive duty of transmission O
9 mail to the government, there can bt
r no argument of this kind properly USED
9 against the introduction of the most
improved methods for the transmission