Arizona republican., 1899-09-18
TO CUBA
The Claim of inc Conner
 CidI tdble Company.
Western Union a Monopoly Ills Franchise Was Derived From inc Spanish GOVernmenf-SfafU to Be Decided by Congress-.

Washington, Sept. 17.-An important
 question which undoubtedly will be
 brought to the attention of congress at
 it's coming session relates to the exten- sion of the telegraphic facilities Of
 Cuba. At present the cable connec- tions between that island and the
 United States are controlled absolutely
 by the Western Union Telegraph com
 pany. That corporation enjoys a mo-
 nopoly in this important respect
 through an exclusive grant obtained
 from the former Spanish government
 in the island. This grant was obtain
 ed about thirty years ago, and the
 Western Union company has done all
 the telegraph business of the island
 ever since That the business has
 been most lucrative is evidenced by
 the recent beast of one Of the leading
 spirits in the enterprise that the Cuban
 cable has been the most profitable ca
 ble line ever constructed. That such
 is the case may be readily accepted as
 a fact when the high rates are con
 sidered. Until comparatively recently the tolls were $4 for a message of ten words between Havana and New York, and SS fer messag ges of similar length between New York and other points i'll Cuba.
 Since the appearance in the field Of possible competitor the company has reduced it's Cuban telegraph tolls one half, but even with this concession they may be reasonably regarded as extortionate when the shortness of the line between the United States is con cerned and comparison is made with rates charged by it's land service and the rates charged by ether cable com panies over much longer distances.
 Just after the close of the Spanish war the Commercial Cable company, better known as the Postal Telegraph company, made an effort to shaEe in this business by extending it's lines to the coast Of Cuba. It purchased prop erty there and made arrangements for the establishment Of a cable landing station. The United States military authorities being then IF control of the island, application was made in due form to the war department for territory. The application received fa- forable consideration. and would un- doubtedly have besn granted but for the determined opposition of the West ern Union company.
 During the consideration of the ques- tiOn congress passed the act prohiD- i iting the granting Of franchises in Cuba. The Western Union company | filed a formal protest against the land ! ing of the cable of the Commercial with the result that the mat | ter was referred to the attorney gen. eral for an opinion as to the powers of . the secretary of war in the premises. : The attorney general rendered an elab- o1+ate opinion reviewing the question i in all it's aspects, and held that under . existing conditions of government In Cuba the secretary of war had no au- .hority to grant the desired landing privilege. Secretary Alger, who was 1t the head of the war department at he time, accepted this opinion as binding upon the department, and mo- flied the Commercial company iu ef- ect that tt could not land it's cable iii Cuba
 There has been no material change n the situation in the meantime, So ar as known and Secretary Root las given no indication of a to reopen the case. The Commercial company has net aban- Icned the field by any means, however, and there is every prospect that a determined effort will ,e made to secure legislation which will enable the company to accomplish ts purpose. In the hope of procuring reconsideration of it's application by he executive, the company has, how yer, filed with the secretary of war formal statement of it's side of the controversy. Attention is called to the Advantages accruing to the govern nent by the proposed contract with he Commercial company, which ask5d 10 aid from the government but on he other hand bound itself to place he cable at the service of the govern nent, allowing it to fix it's own Tates CT transmission of official messa ges. mother clause in the contract pro- ided that the United States at any ime desired might take the title to he cable, paying the company the ap- raised value of the line.
 The company argued that the West m Union company has no rights in he premises beyond the franchise ranted by the Spanish government, yhich is claimed to be illegal, on the round that it was obtained through lisrepresen tations. It was also