Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-07-12
SOME INSIDE NEWS
FROM WASHINGTON
SERIOUS FRANCHISE TAN6LE
IN CUBA AND PHILIPPINES
Western Union Claims Monopoly Il"
Former and British Company !" Latter
-u,f,icuit for Even n Gr,ggs Ingenuity

4" Unravel.
Washington, July 10 AS long as
| Gripps was in office, he could he de-
penoed upon to render an opinion IN
WI irh he would get around any tine
point of the law that the admit lstra-
ton might wish. Now, however, the
United States is up against propo.
siton Of great Importance where 1t
most either invalidate contracts. in.
ture its own interests materially, or
else dodge. Whether ttorney-Gen-
rral Knox is as good dCdger as Mr.
Griggs remains to be seen.
The question at issue is the petition
of the Western onion telegraph com
papy to Secretary Root to prohibit
the government telegraph lines In
Cuba from transmitting the messages
sent to that island by the Postal Tel
egraph company over the wires OF the
French cable from Cape fIaytien.
The controversy is due to the Pos
tsl's efforts to lay direct cable to
Cuba, so az to eIter irto competition
on even terms with the Western I'm
ion for Cuban busiress. For this
purpose it organized a subsidiary cor
poration the Commercial Gable COM
pany of Cuba-Febr1ary 10, 1899, or
dered a cable made, and made prepa-
rations to lard the Cuban end of the
cable on private property 1T had pur-
chased rear Havana. Soon after
ward further work on the rev cable
was stopped by 40 order issued by
Secretary A lger to the United States
troops occupying Cuba, directing
them being landed on the islann.
~
of the Western Union company. with
conteLdcd that to grant the right to
lay anew c4blc would be in viola
ton Of the Foraker act in forbiddlng
United States officials to grant any
franchises 10 Cuba; and that the In
ternstionsl Ocean Telegraph company.
managed by the Western Union, held
the exclusive right ana privilege ID
land in Cubs and operate cattle be.
tween Cuba and the United States
for 40 years under u royal decree OF |
Spain in lS6G. Secretary AlRer issued |
the order rs matter general policy |
and rot as final decree. Nov the
Western Union has forced the tghting
by seeking to shut out the Postal
company from it's indirect access also.
The main point at issue Is, of
course, the validity of the franchise
from Spain; Indirectly, this calls rot
question other fran chises held 10 the
Philippines.
In these islands British company
holds q franchise from Spain for the
Exclusive privilege of telegraph ser
ri,e. This the company questioned
he right Of the United States to es
tsblish Tires OF military telegraph in
ne Philippines, AND, lines having
1een established as a military reces
jity superior to FL civil franchises,
he company still contends that the
wirts must be restricted
o military use ard that their use for
commercial purposes is 40 Infringe
rent Of the rights of the company
nalogous claims of exclusive fran
hise privileges are made by the Ma
lila snd Dsgupan railroad in the
Philippines. which had from Spain a
tee equivalent to subsidy.
If, 10 the case of the Western Union
he War Department holds that the
monopoly granted by Spain sover- ,
ignty in Cuba, the acceptance of this
It a principles may block the way of
American enterprise In the develop
rent of the Philippines in the fields !,
here exclusive irar chises have beeo
ranted for long terms 10y Spain. U1- =
er this practice vanquisned nation :
night deprive the victor OF the value
polls Of conquest by granting per =
etusl franchises to its Own hiects y
r those of friendly nation for all ,
transportation, telegraph, r
lmbe,, mining and other privileges :
0 the coded territory. n
The question raised ny the Western ;
DION, therefore. presents a conflict 3
interest and lack of harmony be- r
1een what may he policy and what n
) established practice. a
In both eases, the sttorrey general n
'udered ar opiuion that the road had b
. legal claim against the United 4
tates, though it might possibly have O.
claim in equity against the reven ii
as Of the islands. Mr. Grigg reached
lis decision ny sore hair splitting F
guments too long tn rehearse. Al
nether Mr. Knox will do as we'll or
badly-remains to be seen. B