Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-01-08

in Belgium, I to 81; in Switzerland, l
to 50: in Great Britain. to 121.
These figures show that we are suf-
fering from high rates for Geographic
communication and inadequate facili-
ties. If we were equally favored In
the matter Of charges, etc., the proba-
bility is that the proportion of tele-
grams would be largely increased. Our
present system does not give satisfac-
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 this sub
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 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 a profit for
their shareholders should restrict their
operations as far as possible to the
principal towns. In the absence of an
obligation to work the telegraphs as
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 bust
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 Geographic
communication the Office was, as a
rule, situated at the railway station,
frequently at an inconvenient distance
In the large towns the telegraph Of
fees were not well distributed. The
offices of three or four companies were
apt to be clustered together in the
business center of the city, sometimes
only few yards distant from each
other, while the suburbs and outly-
ing districts were almost wholly neg
lected. When the inquiry Of 1865 was
Instituted, the total number Of places
supplied with telegraphic communica-
ton by all the companies together was
about 1000, while the number Of places
having postal communication at the
same date was f0,6S5.
The situation is thus graphically de-
ecribed by Mr.. Scudamore:
BY maintaining high charges as
long as they could, by reducing those
charges inch by inch, as it were, and
only under pressure, by the confine-
ment Of their operations to important
towns and by planting their Offices
mainly in the business centers of those
towns the telegraph companies had
brought speculative men, and specu-
lative men only, to a free use of the
telegraph. Whoever could make mon
ey on turn of the market, whoever
could advantageously place a few
pounds when "Bumblebee" went below
"Dulcibella" in the betting, whoever
had 1t at heart to let Thames street
know that there was large take of
herring at Wick, rushed cheerfully
to the telegraph Office and would have
submitted to any inconvenience and
paid any charge to get his massage
in time. But the general pub
lie, puzzled by variable and complex
tariff and disheartened by the distance
of the telegraph offices from their
doors, had got to regard the telegraph
as medium of communication which
they might use in times of sore neces-
sity, and then only, and to look upon
telegraph message with feeling
to fear.
The parallel between the English
telegraph before 1870 and our own
system today is very striking. We
have in an aggravated form all the
evils the English reformers COM
planned Of and several additional ones
of our own-boundless dilution of
stock, enormous profits, Geographic
monopoly of market re-
ports, systematic i'll treatment of en-
ployes, etc. England had abundant
reason for revolt. America has still
greater reason
The press of Great Britain, as we
have seen, demanded a government
telegraph and persisted in discussing
the subject in spite of the threatened
stoppage of their dispatches.
The telegraph companies used every
effort to prevent and impede the re-
form. The objections they raised were:
l. 1t was not the governments bust
ness to telegraph.
2. There would be loss If it did.
3. The telegraph would be better con-
Quoted under private enterprise.
4. The government rates would be
higher.
8. And the use of the telegraph
would decrease.
8. The government service would be