Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-12
TELEGRAPH RATES.
GOVERNOR MCCONNELL, OF IDAHO,
WANTS THEM LOWERED.
MONOpOLIES SHOULD BIZ DISSOLVED.
Business should He Made Free to
AIl-Government Should Take steps
to bring This About-wnshington
Personals.

WASHINGTON, d. c., September H.
| (SpeciaI.)-Goyernor w. ]. Mcconnell, OF
Idaho. who has been in this city recently,
fayors cheaper telegraph rates for the
public and the press, and has been urging
upon statesmen from different portions
of the country the Importance Of giving
the people such rates. Private enterprise
| has always led In advance Of the govern
ment for the public good. 1t was the en-
| terprise of public capitalists that gave the
people OF this country the first advantage
| OF fast mails. Governor Mcconnell refers
to the wonderful enterprise Of the Wells
Fargo Company in delivering the mails
years ago In the West, frequently TWO
days in advance Of the United States
malls. He says: "They met with such
success that they extended their service
TO the Pacific coast and into Canada,
giving the people In these sections the
benefit Of their enterprise, but, Of course
at remunerative rates. At last, however,
the government came to the aid of the
pioneers in the far West and on the Pa
cifc slope, and established mall routes
into the remotest corners of every State
and Territory But while the government
interviewed and prevented the Nells-far-
go Company from retaining monopoly
on the carrying OF letters and newspapers.
it is wonderful to relate that telegraph
companies, ever since their establishment
have been allowed TO retain their monop-
oily and charge such rates as they deem
proper.
"Why is IT," asks Governor Mcconnell
that the government let's contracts Tor
the carrying Of letters to railways, steam
boats, stage lines and on horseback,
yet with country with network OF
telegraph reaching into every sec
ton, the government has never asked
for proposals TO convey messages by wire
at low rate for the benefit OF the people
and the press? believe that IL the POST
master-General were instructed, under
an act of Congress, to advertise for the
transmission OF messages by wire be-
tween the principal cities and the presl-
Dental post-offices In the United States
the service would go into effect within
six months after the acceptance OF the
bids. We would be able to communicate
with each other all over this Continent
at a cost not exceeding cent per word'
with perhaps a small additional expense
for messenger delivery.
1.-THE six months allowed from the time
OF closing contracts would enable private
parties, who might desire to bid for con-
tracts, time to construct lines OF their
own.
BENEFIT TO THE PRESS.
at believe II this system were adopted,
every weekly newspaper of any proml-
hence would have its special correspond
ence by telegraph. Congress and many
Of the State legislatures have passed laws
against trusts and all other monopolles
except telegraph companies.
when the first appropriation was ask
cd from Congress to aid Professor Morse
to construct the first telegraph line in
the United States from Washington to
Baltimore, Senator Benton, of Missouri
said: The time will come before the
close OF this century that the magnetic
telegraph will be the means OF cheap
communication between friends and fami-
lies and commercial centres. 1t will take
the place of letter-writing, because 1t can
convey messages at so much less cost
and saving Of time
ut Is one OF the wonders of our gene
ration that, I'm the midst Of our present
enlightenment, the American people have
displayed so much apathy on this impor-
tant subject. Jay Gould said before
congressional committee that a certain
prominent telegraph company could IL
forced to do so, give service at much
smaller rates than It then charged; but,
continued Gould. why should 1t reduce its
rates when II can get what it asks?
When the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph
Company was operated by the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad corporation, the price
for ten words from Chicago to Washing
ton was Il cents When that company
was absorbed by one of the present COM
panies, the charge was placed at 10 cents
for ten words. We on the Pacific slope
have to pay 10 cents per word for every
day messages.
professor Morse said before Senate
Committee, when asked If his magnetic
telegraph would ever compete with let
ter postage, that strong companies would
be organized to operate telegraph lines
from one end of the Continent to the
other, and that the time would come
when these companies could afford 10
transmit messages at such rate as
would enable any one 70 use the wires
for quick transmission of news in prefer
ence to the mails"
CURING OF TOBACCO.
A bulletin just issued by the Depart |
ment of Agriculture on the subject OF |
curing lODaccO, may De Oh SOHlc IN |
terest to the tobacco planters Of Virginia, |
who are already pretty well informed. |
however, and many OF whom are adopts |
In the process of curing. The bulletin
referred to says:
For the production Of salable ar
.icle, much depends upon the character
1f the soil, and a great deal depends |
upon the skill in curing. Fully as much,
however, depends upon the proper grading
md sorting of the tobacco and the style |
Of package in which 1t is sent to the
Too much cannot be said
about the necessity for very careful at
ientlon tP these apparently small details.
{ is very important, moreover that the
planters should study the markets. the
demands from foreign countries, the re-
uirements Of our own manufacturers.
md aim to produce exactly what they
want, and to get it to them In the way
n which they can best use 1t, rather than
Of