The Louisiana populist., 1897-02-19

Va uSl Within lhS h1hShoAA1' |
The chancellor Of the exchequer, IN
moving for leave to introduce the bill,
said:
It would be admitted as general :
principle that the monopoly that had
succeeded so we'll in regard to the con-
veyance of letters might be expected
to succeed equally as well In more
rapid method of communication. l
am not aware of any objection to mon
opoly in one case that would not hold
good in the other This country is
behind others in the matter OF tele-
graphic communication. The proper
ton OF kilograms to letters is far less IN
this country than in Belgium or swift
zerland, In 1866 the proportions were
! in Belgium, l to 81; III Switzerland,
to 60: in Great Britain. to III.
These figures show that we are sui
fering from high rates for telegraphle1
communication and inadequate faclll-
ties. If we were equally favored N
the matter of charges ETC., the proDa-
bility is that the proportion OF tele-
grams would be largely increased Our
present system does not give satlsfac~
! ton to the commercial world. A depu"
tation from the Associated Chambers
Of Commerce waited upon the post
master general and myself at the treas"
ury to present memorial on TINS SUD-
ject. They complained Of high rates.
vexatious delays, inaccurate rendering
Of messages and the absence OF tele-
graphic communication in whole dis
tricts Under the present system OF
private administration there is little
prospect of fair reduction in rates.
After speaking of the extortionate
charges OF the private companies In
the paragraph already quoted. Post
master-General Morley continues thus:
Not only were the charges high, but
the systems were incomplete. 1t was
in the nature OF things that companies
whose aim was to secure prof1t Tor
their shareholders should restrict thela
operations as far as possible to the
principal towns. In the absence OF an
obligation to work the telegraphs as
a national undertaking they natural
ly refrained from extensions to the
smaller towns and villages or to dis
tricts remote from the chief centers OF
population, which could not be ex'
pected to yield a remunerative busl'
ness. Thus several towns in England
and Wales with from 5000 to 5000 In
; habitants were without any telegraph
facilities, being situated at distances
Of from five to ten miles from the
nearest telegraph station. Where such
towns were provided with telegraphlc
communication the Office was, as
rule, situated at the railway station
frequently at an inconvenient distance
from the center OF the town.
In the large towns the telegraph Of
2 fees were not we'll distributed. The
t Offices of three or four companies were
t apt to be clustered together in tht
$ business center of the city, sometime!
: only a few yards distant from eacf
: other, while the suburbs and outly
t ing districts were almost wholly neg
d lected. When the inquiry Of 1865 wa
!; instituted, the total number Of place
e supplied with telegraphic communica
e ton by all the companies together Wa
:. about 1000, while the number Of place
t, having postal Communication at tn
J. same date was 1855.
If The situation is thus graphically de
ecribed by Mr.. Scudamore:
IS BY maintaining high charges
.e long as they could, by reducing thos
d charges inch by inch, as it were, an
IS only under pressure. by rhe confnt
r ment of their operations to importar
l. towns and by planting cheir office
le mainly in the business centers Of thos
e towns the telegraph companies ha
in brought speculative men, and spec'
to lative men only, to free use OF tt
ne telegraph. Whoever could make moi
at ey on a turn Of the market, whoev'
as could advantageously place a fe
al pounds when "Bumblebee" went belo
e. "Dulcibella" in the betting, whoev
ly had it at heart to let Thames sire
mt know that there was large take
n herring at Wick, rushed cheerful
,r. to the telegraph office and would ha
ed submitted to any inconvenience al
n paid any charge to get his massa
a through in time. But the general pu
lie, puzzled by variable and compl
on tariff and disheartened by the distan
de Of the telegraph Offices from th'
nh doors, had got to regard the telegra
nd as a medium Of communication viii
by they might use in times OF sore nec'
he sity, and then only, and to look upon
,ht telegraph message with a feeli
nal amounting to fear.
le- The parallel between the Engli
the telegraph before 1870 and our O.
hat system today is very striking.
ion have in an aggravated form all
ms evils the English reformers CO
I'M planned Of and several additional OF
tho of our own-boundless dilution
rts stock, enormous profits, telegrap
itb millionaires, monopoly of market
,er. ports, systematic i'll treatment OF e
nv pIoyes, etc. England had abund'
. eo~ rnuo1t yoorioa hou g