The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-29
THE TAX ON TELEGRAMS
It Will Reach a Large Part of
the Public.
A CENT ON EACH MESSAGE
Il Hits Everybody Except the Govern
ment and Railroad Companies Using
Their Own wires-Provisions
OF the Law.

Another source of war revenue and
one that viii reach a large proportion
OF the public is the 1-cent tax on all
kilograms e Manager Wild of the
Western Union yesterday received a
message from superintendent Dickey
at Omaha. transmitting the following
letter of instructions issued from the
Chicago Office by II. c. Clowry, general
superintendent of the Western Union,
dated July %:
THE war revenue law requires thai:
on and after July /. 1888. under penalty
of $40, no telegraph company or its
agents or employees III transmit TO
any person any dispatch or message
without an adhesive l-cent stamp be-
ing affixed to n o thereof or stamped
t~hereupon. Exception is made OF gov
messages, service messages or
the telegraph company and messages
of the officials ms employees of railroad
companies sent only over the wires OF
their respective railroads. ON and att
er July /, 1898. the following instruc-
tions are therefore TO be observed. viz:
.'First-The senders of zach of the
aforementioned classes of business.
must be required to attach a l-cent
documentary revenue stamp thereon
before the message can be accepted for
transmission-that is: A, full paid
message. day and night; B, collect
message: c. messages sent under Dust
ness or half rate franks: ID, messages
sent under complimentary franks; T.,
messages received by telephone from
customers directs the cost of the nee
essary stamps is TO be added 10 the ac-
count rendered; +, messages collect IN
answer TO call bells. messengers are 20
be instructed TO require that stamps
shall be placed on the messages by the
customers. unless il has been previous
~ arranged between the customers and
the that the cost of the
stamp shall be added to charges ac-
count: G.. press dispatches, when pre-
scented at Western Union counter a
stamp must be required for each dis
patch, irrespective of its number of
words Cor number of addresses). on
dispatches transmitted direct from
newspaper offices a stamp must be at
tached by the sende 10 each dispatch.
irrespective of the number of words II
contains Cor number of addresses) be-
fore the dispatches are sent to the
Western Union to he booked. II, G, y.
d. reports. These reports, not being
sent as signal messages. u as period
zeal reports and paid for In a lump
sum per week OF HlonAhs nitSl''AN' VI
the exact number of words transmitted.
are not construed as messages under
the law n will therefore not require
stamps.
neutrality-suspicious. and mana
gers are 10 notify the officials OF rail-
road press associations, pro-
prietors Of and any other
large customers of the requirement. OF
the law, so that they may have ample
opportunity to provide themselves with
stamps. as the telegraph company can
only undertake TO provide its offices
with stamps sufficient for emergencies
and TO cover the whole number Of mes
sages transmitted.
''Third-In cases, when the law goes
into effect, where il is impossible for the
senders Of messages or managers To pro-
cure the necessary stamps the mana
gers are to collect from the senders the
value of the stamps and TO attach them
40 the messages as soon as they can ne
procured.
"Fourth-Method OF cancelins stamps:
The law provides that the person .;stHg
or afixing the stamp shall write or
stamp t%hereupon the initials of his name
and date upon which the same h be
attached or use1. so that ,he same may
not again Da used, and managers are
20 see tina the stamps are so Cancelled.
I'VE will probably have the foregoing
order put in type at Chicago N you
will please wire me the number of cop
ses you need for your district Tor dis
rribution 10 officers