Evening star., 1902-03-13
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
MR.. RICHARDSON REPLIES TO MR..
CORLISS.
Opposes Government Construction OF a
Cable to Manila-What is
Proposed Instead.


Of Pacific cable by the government In
the House yesterday afternoon was replied
to later in the day by Representative Rich
ardson Of Alabama.
This was the third speech Of Mr.. Corliss,
and the second reply by Mr.. Richardson on
this subject. Mr.. Richardson began with
some caustic comments upon the remark
able and exclusive facilities possessed by
the gentleman from Michigan for the ad-
vance delivery Of his speeches throughout
the country" He disclaimed any intention
to reflect upon the correspondents In the
press gallery, but he expressed his surprise
that the speech made by Mr.. Corliss earlier
In the day had been typewriter and lying
In soak for two weeks" Thereupon he
drew from his desk q copy Of prepared
synopsis of Mr.. Coriiss' speech literally In
terlarded with editorial comments and pro-
ceeded to read some OF the characterize
tions 1t contained.
BY this time the members Of the House
were interested and began crowdtng around
the place where Mr.. Richards was stand
ing. Mr.. Corliss himself entered the hall.
Before he sat down he denied that he had
written the advance newspaper articles
describing his speech which had been cir
culated.
Mr.. Richardson said he would decline to
become excited. He was conscious Of the
correctness Of his own motives, he said,
/ and refased to be diverted from the real
issue by the raw head and bloody bones
conjured up by the gentleman from Michi-
gan.
What Is this proposition that We have
to discuss" continued Mr.. Richardson.
1.-The gentleman from Michigan and his
friends propose that the government of the
United States shall lay this cable from the
coast Of California to Manila at a cost. on
conservative estimate. Of $l5.oOO,oOo
What next? That the annual outlay for it's
maintenance will be s1.5OOOO0: that the
reasonable annual income that the govern
ment can expect to receive will not exceed
$4,000. That Is the proposition that they
make. and that is the proposition that this
House Will pass upon;
What is the proposition for which we are
coutending? It Is this: Here Is the Com
mercial Pacific Cable Company competent,
qualified. financially and otherwise. expe-
rienced In Its work. with men of the nee
essary skill They propose to build this
cable from the coast Of California to Ma
nila by January 1905. without single dol
lar OF cost. aid or subsidy from the gov
ernment All, Mr.. Chairman. that strikes
the common sense and the business sense
of the country with some force. What next
do we find about this Commercial PACING
Cable Company! They M have h,e entered tsn h,o saO
Francisco to Honolulu and to complete 1t
by the 1st day Of January, 1903. They have
expended on that contract $1SO.OOO. 1t Will
cost them to build to Honolulu something
over 100000. 1t Is conceded by every
body and unquestioned by any one. under
the evidence that was submitted to the in
terstate and foreign commerce committee,
could not possibly pay the running ex-
penses; that there was not enough business
there to justify the laying Of such line
Then I say that when this company
spending Of over $2,0OO.OOO. 1t is an abso-
Lutte guaranty that it will proceed and build
he line to Manila where the business VIII
pay. Now, what is the next guarantee
ol Do off
Company? It proposes to build an all
American line, II possible. and. as said be-
fore there Is no question about that, ex-
cept the deep water around Guam 1t pro-
poses also to take government messages at
half rates, and not only that, but that the
Postmaster General shall regulate the cable
rate, and that the Secretary OF State. when-'
ever in his opinion an emergency arises,
shall have the right, in the name of the
government OF the United States to take
possession Of that line and to use II ana
operate 1t for the government untll the ne
cessity Is past And what else does 1t do!
These are the questions that We PROFOUND
to those who raise this cry Of monopoly
and octopus. It proposes to reduce existing
rates from $1.66 per word to 81 per word
from San Francisco to Manila and 81 to
China.
'.What else does 1t do7 Why. this COM
pany gives guaranty-piedges itself that
the government can step In and ouy the
cable the moment it sees proper at its ap-
praised value, the appraisers being agreed
upon in the usual way. Now. say. what
stronger argument, what more convincing
facts can I give for the purity Of my mo-
tive for my advocacy OF private ownership
than the simple business proposition that
has been stated? Why. ask. with all OF
these safeguards, should We be willing to
thrust the government, at the behests of
private interests and dictation, into a line
OF policy Of government ownership, invad-
ing private enterprise, destroying private
energy and industry. by bringing the peo-
Die into competition With its immense re-
sourcesf
Mr.. richardson said the real track Of the
octopus and monopoly could be, found in
section of the Corliss blu. and proceeded
to read from the testimony OF Mr.. Clark Of
the western Union Telegraph Company.
the statement that q government cable
would give his company its share Of the
business, while II the Commercial Cable
Company constructed the Pacific cable 1t
would get nothing.
'sThere is the milk in the cocoanut." de-
clared Mr., Richardson. THAT company Is
tryinx to use the government to pull its
hot chestnuts out Of the fire.
The machinery mouiders at Cleveland.
Ohio. have struck for an advance In