The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-06-23
The TELEGRAPH MONOPOLY.
WESTERN UNION AND POSTAL,
RAISE RATES.
Strong Independent Company in the
Ffeld-Old Companies Charge Eek.
cessive Rates-New Company Gives
Quicker Service at Less Cost.

Quicker Service at Less Cost.
New York, June 21.-The bill re-
Gently passed by the legislature of the
State Of Massachusetts, compelling
telegraph companies to carry the time
of filing on all messages became oper-
ative on the 18th instant The Wes.-
ern Union Telegraph Company issued
printed order to its employees in that
State instructing them to comply with
the law but to charge the sender for
the extra words necessary to carry
the Hing time. and the order de-
inands that five or six words extra be
charged for. This meant a raise in
the cost of 20 cents message by
about 80 per cent. The Postal Tele-
graph Company also intimated its in
tention to make this etxra charge
This action on the part Of the old
telegraph companies aroused a storm
OF indignation all over the State and
the press is commenting freely in
very strong terms on the situation.
The Boston Post in an editorial
states:
THE bill requiring this to be done
was passed by the present legislature.
No member of the legislature in vot-
ing for this measure could have had
any notion that the telegraph COM
panies would take advantage Of vcr-
bal hiatus. and in effect raise the rate
OF a ten-word message about SO per
cent. For the telegraph companies
tn do this Is an insolent defiance Of
the General Court Of Massachusetts,,
unparalleled in the States relations
with public service corporations. The
legislature with due regard to its own
self-respect and dignity can do no
less than promptly meet and rebuke
this extraordinary exhibition OF cor
porate arrogance. >. ="
y'lt is entirely clear that the objec-
ton OF the telegraph companies is
rot to the expense or trouble stnyolr
we'd. A very simple system OF code
signals would enable the companies
TO place the time of filing upon their
State messages. give ir six words"
would not be required. Two or three
code letters over the wire would ac-
complish the result at nominal ex-
pense and trouble"
''The real objection of the telegra ph
companies is that the stating of the
time of filing a message would reveal
the long and inexcusable delays to
which messages are often subjected"
But the reason why the telegraph
Is used at all Is to save time in trans
mitting message. and when the
public pays for such expedition, it
certainly has a right to know whether
rho service for which it pays Is rem
THAT a few telegraph moguls in
New York should defy the legislature
OF Massachusetts, as they have done in
this instance is simply intolerable."
For some months new Indepen-
dent Telegraph Company, the Tele-
post. has been operating commercial
ly in Massachusetts, and other New
England States, One Of the new tcle-
graphs company's features is the
filing time free Of charge on all it's
messages, and this is being don, be-
tween all points reached by its lirss
both in the East and Middle West.
BY the Telepost system messages
are transmitted at the enormous
speed of 1000 words minute over
any one wire, thus enabling the COM
pany to do business at a fraction Of
the cost to the older companies which
operate by the old method of hand
transmission. Not only does the Tele-
post carry the filing time free, but it
sends kilograms of 25 words for Is
cents regardless of distance.
Judging from the situation which
'as arisen in Massachusetts cand the
manner In which it has been met is
the Western Union and Postal Com
panies. 1T would seem that the public
can look for little relief in the matter
OF quicker service or cheaper rates
from these companies; but from an
independent company using q rapid
system such as the Telepost which
VIII carry an enormous volume of
business over fewer wires at cheap
rates.
AT the closing session Of the con-
vention OF Labor Commissioners of
the states and nation, at Rochester.