The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-05
FIGURES AT HAND
Dispositions In Western Union
Cases Are Filed.
Show How System Is Operated
In Kansas.
TOPEKA OFFICE PAYS
Net Return of Over $1,000 In
Month.
How the Railroads and TeIe-
graph Companies Divide.

The long expected dispositions in the
western Union telegraph injunction
cases in the district court have at last
arrived and have been filed in the dis
trict court. There are over 300 type
written pages in the dispositions them
selves, besides the Exhibits in which
various statistics are given.
There were six witnesses examined.
They were Mary A Handley. who has
been a clerk in the checking and tariff
bureau of the Western Union for sew
eraI years; c. B. Horton, the Western
Unions assistant superintendent at
Omaha; Leonard Cox, inspector of &C
counts, travelling auditor; William
Holmes. superintendent of the checking
and tariff bureau; Thomas F. Clark,
third vice president, and George f.
Fearons. general attorney Of the COM
pany.
One of the most interesting portions OF
hhe dispositions is a copy of the monthly
statement of the business of the To-
Pelza office for the month of December,
1898 1t shows that the receipts of the
Iopeka office for the month amounted
TO $1,SO3- 80. This includes only the
money that was taken in on messages
an the Topeka office, and does not show
the messages that were sent collect,
which would include all the special dis
patches sent out from Topeka. The
total expense of operating the Topeka
Office during the month, including the
salaries of manager, operator, clerks,
messenger boys, rent and other miscel-
aaneous expenses, amounted to $771,S6,
making a net profit on the business Of
the Topeka office of $1,031.94.
The average expense of handling mes
sages sent from the Topeka office was
PA cents The average cost of re
Topeka Office was 2.25 cents so that
the total cost of handling messages
both ways was about AZ cents each
The total al number of messages haAdled
The company has So offices in the
state which it maintains independent of
the railroad offices. There are sos joint
otuces IN which the railroad companies
pay the expenses of operating. The re-
ceipts on business originating and end
ang IN Kansas during 1898 amounted to
S11o,5S 81, according to the deposition
given by Assistant superintendent Hor-
ton The receipts on the interstate bus
Aness beginning or ending in Kansas
amounted to 1894 635. 81, making a total
of 1911. 932. 81 received in Kansas nv the
Western Union during 1888. These fig
nres do not show the receipts from the
-Assoclated Press or from the govern
ment, which are not paid in Kansas
1t was stated that the expense of on
Grating the Kansas lines during the
same time was 1924, 229 16. On cross
examination it was developed that this
amount of expense was charged TO
Kansas, not as the actual amount spent
an Kansas by the telegraph COMPANY
but as the states share in proportfon 10
the number of miles of wire there is in
the United States.
About onet hirtieth of the total num-
Der of miles of wire owned by the
western Union is in Kansas. and ac-
cordlngly one-thirtieth of the total ex-
pense of operating the entire system is
charged up to Kansas. although only
one-eightieth of the business of the
system was transacted in the state
There was paid to managers and oD-
orators in Kansas during 1898 $50 9S8 IS
and the railroads received as their
share of the profits from the telegram
business $40. 1871 81.
The figures given by Miss HandIey. on
the kansas business differed greatly
from the figures given by Mr. Horton
but this difference resulted from the
Iact that in the report given by Miss
Aandley, Kansas City, Kan, was con-
sldered with the Kansas City, Mo. Of
nee and not as a part of Kansas
Regarding the contracts with rail-
road companies the DISPOSITIONS show
mat the railroad companies furnish all
the offices and operators except in 80
larger towns of the state The Santa
Fe, Union Pacific, and ST. Joseph q
Grand Island operate the lines along
their roads, and turn over so per cent
OF the gross receipts to the telegraph
company; the Burlington & Missouri
River road owns and operates the tele-
graph lines along its road, but it turns
over to the Western Union so per cent
of its profits; the Missouri Pacific NJ
X & T, Frisco, Kansas Midland
Hutchinson & Southern, and Rock ISL
and operate the lines along their re-