The St. Louis Republic., 1904-12-18
Government Ownership Works
Well and Helps the New
Sections.
SYSTEM is IN THREE BLOCKS.
Six Thousand Five Hundred and
Eighty-Four Miles of Wire
Operated From Two Hun
dred and Ninety-Nine
Offices.

Ottawa, Canada Dec. l7.-I7.e Canadian
people are to-day the owners OF more
han 500 miles OF land telsgraphs and sea
cables built and operated with their own
money. For years good deal az talk has
been heard about national ownership Of
-elegraphic lines and Sir William Nu.ock,
the Postmaster General, Is understood to
have been investigating tn. conditions I'M
der which the properties Of the companies
now doing business IN Canada can be ac-
CURED and carried on by the Government
n the interest OF the people Of Canada.
Since Sir William began his inquiry. the
value OF the companys' plants. holdings
and franchises has gone up enormously.
If the progress Of Canada continues at
anything ike its present rate. the differ
ence between the price at which the Lines
could have been nationaiized a few years
after Sir William became Postmaster Cen
ersl In the i..urier administration and at
which they may be had. say ten years
hence Is likely to b- great to seri-
ously handicap he Minister who may at
tempt 10 undertake. Naturalization
scheme
In the meantime the Government has
been steadily adding to the mileage OF It's
own lines, and in the northwest especially
IS sending out offshuots in every direction
.
private telegraph companies have not Yet
found # sufficiently profitable 10 build.
The number OF miles OF Government
lines constructed up To the close OF last
year was 6.2il. and the present year Will
see totai mileage of 6.;.o+ fully completed
and equipped with 80 Offices. an increase
Of forty over last year.
me government system may be de
scr!bed in general way as consisting OF
three blocks; one connects Quebec with Il
station at the Atlantic end on the north
O Lay IN, lir-a.
tion. moro than eighty miles beyond the
Canadian boundary IN Newfoundland
La5rador. at Chateau Bay. opposite Belle
Isle in the strait of Belle Isle. with a ca
pie proceeding southwardly by way of the
Isiahd OF Antlc0su and the Magdn!en
ISLANDS TO Cape, Breton. and branches IN
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
Another l. within the boundaries of the
Two great Northwestern territories Of As
sln4b"la ami Saskatchewan. The third ex-
lends from the southern section OF British
Columbia north some distance beyond
Dawson city in the Yukon With A branch
rom the main line to Port Simpson ON
of tho United States. and a er,,r -,
aberdeen point on the coast below Port
Simpson. "a
ONE THOUSAND-MILE STRETCH.
The Government line on the north shore
OF the st. Lawrence. between Murray
Bay, Quebec. and Chateau Rav. Is more
than l01o miles long with not far short
OF 900 miles more distributed between d;r
terent parts of the Province of Quebec
IN and around the Magdalen Islands and
antICosu Island and connecting them
with the mainland. In the maritime Prov
1nces the Government has constructed
spout Ho miles OF telegraph lines In the
Government lines IS between 200 and NfJ
fniles; In British Columbia about 500 miles
and In the Yukon more than 300 miles.
Inc wireless telegraph system has been
NV tka.
with It's land lines at various points in
the Gulf Of St Lawrence and on the Al
lantiC Coast. The whole OF the land and
cable telegraph lines above enumerated
Public Works Department OF the Domin-
Ion Government. but In connection with
the wireless system the Marine and
Fisheries Department has assisted in the
Cape Face. Newfoundland Belle Isle.
Point Armour. Labrador, Fame Point and
Heath Point, Anticosti
The importance OF the Government sys-
TEN OF telegraph lines Of Canada may be
judged from the fact that the aggregate
mileage Is now. roughly Speaking one
ffth of the entire mileage OF the private
telegraph corporations doing business in
Canada
The policy of the Government Is not to
compete with the existing companies. but
10 assist them and the country BY open
ing up telegraph communica tions into re-
gions where II would not pay the COM
parties to construct and maintain lines and
offices. Tho Government. lines connect at
every point on their system with the ex-
listing companies and exchange business
with them
The loss in the cost Of operating the
Government lines is trifie compared to
the immense benefit they have been and
are 10 al ever-increasing degree to the
country. On the Yukon line the de-
ficienry last year was only $4,000, in the
Northwest Territories $4,000 and in the
Eastern section $4,000. The difference be-
tween ~he cost OF maintenance and the
revenue turned In will soon disappear at
the present rate of increase in the use
of the lines.
The Minister OF Public Works OF Can
ada, the Honorable James Sutherland. is
the head of the executive of the Govern
Inent telegraph service, and Nr. GObsiI.
Deputy Minister. next in command. the
general superintendent being D. II. Kee-
ley. during whose time in Office the service
has grown from comparative insignificancs
TO its present proportions.