The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-11-18

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I'VE TELEGRAPH ASp TkLIPHoSx.
Nearly every government IN the
world. excerpt ours. owos scd aper
atss ITS own telegraph aud telephone
linef, 10 the great advantage OF its
people. But We still give all the ben
eft TO corporations.
An examination sho US that ;ha to-
tai cost of the construction AID luip-
ment Of the Western Union telegraph
line has been only between twenty
five and thirty millions OF dollars.
and that owing to wear and tear, etc.
1t is now not worth over tw snty null
IONS of dollars; yet it has issued
stocks and bonds amounting 70 over
ninety-seven millions OF dollars. and
is paying interest on this sum. 10
other words, it is now paying twenty
per cent. or what the plant has cost
and what it is now in reality worth.
During the last twenty five years it
has paid one hundred millions Of dol
lars in dividends. All Of this money
has come out of the pockets # the
American people.
If the government were TO take the
telegraph at fair price and IN Aka it
part of the postal system, aud issue
3 per cent. bonds for it, aud were to
maintain the present charg s, the
net earnings, after paying interest
on the bonds would pay for the en-
tire system in about Ave years. Ga
the other hand, if it should decide to
do as Great Britain has done. that is,
red uce the charges so as to bring
the service within the reach of all
the people, the charges could be cut
in two and the system still be self
supporting.
After making the sams argument
for government telephone lines to be
used with the telegraph as part OF
the postal system, Gov. Altgeld pro-
ceeded to also urge the adoption of
POST4L SAVINGS BANKS.
Hs said in Great Britain aud in
many Of the Continental countries the
governments maintain postal savings
banks in which the poor can deposi,
their little savings from tims to
time and get low rate of interest
on them. In England this postal
savings department., run in counec
:ion with the postotioe, performs a
| variety of service that is OF
the greatest benefit to the peo
! pie. 1t provides system for re-
ceiving the small deposits even ol
children, a cheap and safe system OF
sending all sums Of money from
one point to another, and it issues
life insurance policies for small
amounts. In this way poor people
are encouraged to form habits o.
economy and thrift and also to max.
provision for sickness, accident, and
for old age, and can do this all at {
very nominal expense, and are neve
in danger of losing a llfe's work b,
a bsrk failure, or of having the IL
surancs company break after paying
it premiums for years.
la our country the poor people ar
left at the mercy of private lndiviau
ais and private companies. Tn
history of both, in banking as we'll a
insurance, has been tainted wit
failures. bankruptcy and even frauds
aud owing to the high charges. on
poor people deprived of the benefi
of life insurance. The total amour
which any individual can deposit i
savings bank is not large, and c N
sequently it does not interfere wit
the general business of the couptr,
and instead Of paying interest o
bonds held by the rich of foreig
countries, the government psys il
} terest to its own people.
THE GREAT COAL MINERs' STRIKE.
After reviewing the history Of th
various coal miuers' strikes of receI
!, years, Governor Altgeld said:
But these things are now matte
Of history. The only question {
: interest to day is how long sha
: this go Oh snd where will it enc
Hyenas are sometimes satiated an
lie down to rest, leaving the worI
10 others; but recent years have d.
monstrated that the hunger of co
porations grows fercer with Il
; feeding, and that if left to ha,
their way the contest must beaom
:. fercer and the public will, at q
. times, be in danger of fuel fami,
and a general disturbance of its i
. dustries. On the other hand, if Il
miners are to be reduced to such
; state of helplessness and degrad
- ton that they will not have ii
u spirit to strike, if hunger and make
ness are to become natural conc
! tions among the adults, and igno
ance and crime are to bs the euvi
" onment of the children, then We "
II soon have in our country r lar
- population that will be consta
g menace to free government and I
- publican nstit-tlons.
y Governor Altgeld then proceed
- to suggest that it might yet be n
~ essary for the government to ia
% charge of the coal mines and to G
~ erate them to insure justice to
y miner and to give to the public CO
70 at a fair and reasonable price.
10 THE CAUCASIAN does not ag'
!. with Governor Altgeld in this. I
20 other reforms advocated by the 6,
- ernor will cure this eyil-will reno
y the causes that have produced
coal trust and all other trusts.
80 When the control of the vital
struments of commerce-mons
:; q transportation, and the transmlssI
~ ~ of intelligence, al Of which {
y great natural monopolies-srs tai
80 from the hands of private syndica
=. and operated in the interest Of
% ." the people Chat is without discri
~ nation in favor of any individual
- any one business enterprise or;n
. vor Of any one town or sect
=. against another) then the coal trr
-: the oil trust, the beef trust, the
IA IA bacco trust. the sugar trasl and
% other trusts will vanish as a fog
w fora a rising sun