The Washington times., 1902-01-05
THE TELEGRAPH PROPOSITION
approval and Suggcstions Orcrc,
on Government Ownership.

-" Government GwneySg,in
TO the Editor Of The Times:
nave read several articles in The
iiircs advocating the purchase of Amcri-
can telegraph lines by the Government
AS | am the chairman OF the Jnt.r,at;o,oI
| typographical Union Committee on Gov
! efhhent Ownership and Control of the
Ieiegraphs and have been si1,ce 1893 de.
| sire to express an opinion regarding tho
project.
! am glad that The Times is advocating
Government ownership, for it is hound
| 10 come sooner or later However. I am
| disappointed to learn that there ;s =,
| proposition that the Government sborId
purchase the existing compapjos ror ,,v
! tning like 5000, coo 600. If tho Cavern
ment can buy the telegraph lines at their
. true value. with the water eliminated
| am in favor OF the purchase. Several
years ago Mr.. Gould was willing to sell
10 tne Government on the same terms.
| out his offer was rejected
| IN iSo5 the market value of the West
ern Union Company was SII 900 600 tie
| market value today is sl2O, ,OOO. 900 The in
crease mas Deen obtained from three
| sources:
First. which is by far the s;naIIoss
from capllad put into competing compa :
mes. which have failed and have, been an
sorbed. -
Second. by the profits, after payment
OF dIViicndS. which have been put into
ness.
Third, in borrowing money upon ,ba
! mortgages OF the company.
Experts have stated, time and again.
tl2t a system to compete with the West
ern Union would cost from $25 0OO, 900 to
$5e,000.o0O. The people do not desire to
pay 500, 100000 for a system which they
can duplicate for s3n, 600 ,OOO
The postal service, as everybody knows.
Is for the benefit of the people and princi-
pally used by them. The telegraph is
used largely for speculation Forty-six
per cent Of all its business is done by
spectators, 81 per cent by newspapers, 12
per cent by the press associations and
only per cent consists of private mes
sages.
In every highly civilized country, ex-
cept America, the telegraph is in the
hands of the Government and protected
by the Government for the benefit of the
people. The rates are low and uniform.
The postal system and the telegraph sys-
tenn are both facilities for public .om-
munication. Which renders the better
service to the public? Everybody will
agree that it is the postal system. IL
must be so, for it is conducted for the
benefit Of the public, and not for the
benefit OF stockholders.
II these two great means- for the trans
mission of intelligence are united, the
necessary result will be a great reduc-
tion in the expenses of the telegraph sys-
TEN. With few exceptions. the Senators
and Representatives whom l have con-
suited have admitted that it was the duty
OF the Government to furnish the speed
lest and most efficient postal service: that
the people were entitled to the best at
the lowest possible cost; that the demand
for a postal telegraph, repeated with in
creasing emphasis from year to year.
would soon have TO be needed and
scheme adopted for the transmission OF
urgent correspondence that was better
than tho antiquated method OF the So
called fast-mail trains.
Let us have Government ownership OF
tolegraphs, but with the understanding
that the purchase of corporation facili-
ties shall be made upon reasonable terms.
4. l.. RANDALL.
Washington, January 4, 1902.