Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-27
TELEGRAPH TRUST

4 TYPICAL example of the spirit
"a that animates the telegraph trust
a and makes people wonder how
much longer the telegraph service Of
the United States is to be a fortune
builder instead of being united with
the postoffice service as a public utility
is given by the conduct of the Western
Union after the passage of the Massa-
chusetts bill compelling telegraph conn.,
panies to carry on all messages the
time of filing as we'll as the time of re-
ceiving.
Obviously. the usefulness Of a tele-
gram is much increased when it is
dated correctly. with the time of filing
and time of receiving. The telegraph
trust issued a printed order to its en-
ployes in Massachusetts telling them to
comply with the law, but to CHARGE
THE SENDER for the extra words
necessary to carry the filing time. The
order means five or six words extra
must be charged for, which amounts
to an increase of about so per cent in
the cost of a 25-eent message.
Trust ownership of the public tele-
graph of the United States is one of the
most grievous burdens use and wont"
have put upon the American people.
The brazenness with which the trust in
the east has tried to make the public
pay a tax on the statement of filing
time, without which statement no mes
sage, accurately speaking, is complete,
illustrates the attitude of the trust
toward the people. In the far west we
are well aware of the impositions OF
the trust and can sympathize heartily
with the citizens of Massachusetts who,
in the attempt to protect themselves by
securing from the company a reason
able degree of efficiency and prompt
ness of service, have added to the bur-
den imposed on them by the taxing
trust.
We in California can speak with feel
ing on this subject because no part of
the United States has suffered more in
the matter Of telegraph tolls than has
the Pacific coast. The rates were es-
tablished at time when there were
fewer wires and fewer railroads and
when the cost of maintenance was many
times more than 1t is now. Great in
crease of facilities at the disposal of
the trust and vast additions to equip
ment, wire mileage. etc, have come
without any commensurate reduction
in the fees exacted from the public.
The service rendered for the price
charged has never been comparable
with service and price in the east. The
telegraph trust has always realized that
to the citrus growers of California the
telegraph is an indispensable necessity.
Aware that the citrus growers are at
their mercy, the telegraph barons have
never ceased to levy as heavy a tax on
the citrus industry as they could exact
without provoking rebellion against
their tyranny. In the handling, divert
ing, disposition and distribution of fruit
a huge amount of money each year is
taken out of the pockets of the citrus
growers for telegraph tolls. All the
citrus cars are started rolling and are
diverted or forwarded by wired instruc-
tions. When the legislature of Califor-
MIA shall have ceased to be owned and
operated by the representatives of the
corporations and by jackals for the
Southern Pacific possibly we, too. may
receive the benefit of anti-telegraph
trust legislation and the gouging power
of the utility taxer may be modified
by the champions of the people.
Each new eneroachment of the tele-
graph trust will have the effect of
bringing government ownership of the
telegraph service nearer the domain OF
practical politics BY dishonest trick
cry like that which evades the purpose
of good law, protecting both the send
ers and the receivers of messages, the
telegraph trust convinces many people
of the Importance of considering seri-
ously the advisability of the govern
ment ownership Of the telegraph serv-
ice and its inclusion in the great post
office department of the United States.