The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-03-21
Providing Bill introduced in
Senate by Senator Gore of
Oklahoma Is Enacted Into a
Federal Law.
PNEUMATIC TUBES TO
IT,. S. POST OFFICES
Company Officials Say Adop-
ton of the Bill Would In
crease P. 0. Department
Revenue $4,000, 1000.

Uncle Sans postal revenue promis-
es to be increased by 100000 or
more annually as one of the results of
a bill introduced in the senate by Sena-
tor Robert L. Owen of Oklahoma
The bill which is to put big kink
in the jib of that old pirate craft de
ficit," that has been giving the Off
Gals of the postal department chill
blains for some years, authorizes the
Telepost Co. to connect it's main office
In this city and every other city of the
country, with the general postoffice
by pneumatic tube.
The Telepost Co. is operating the De-
1aney automatic telegraph system in
New England, between Boston and
Portland, and between Chicago and
important cities in the middlewest, in
Guiding st. Louis, Indianapolis. Terre
Haute, Springfield and other points in
Missouri. Indiana and Illinois. Exten-
sions to New York and other important
points are under way.
Senator Owens bill Is the first step
of what the officers of the company
are confident will lead to the creation
of an annuity for the government of
unprecedented proportions.
A Curious Coincidence.
BY curious coincidence the rural
communities of the country which are
blamed for a large portion of the an
nual deficit that confronts the postal
department, will contribute a substan-
tial amount to the added revenue.
Bhe Telepost makes speciality of
two forms of letter kilograms, unique
in American telegraphy, known as the
telepost and the telecard. The first
is so word letter sent over the wire
with the same celebrity as an ordinary
telegram and delivered by mail instead
of by messenger. The second Is a ten
word message, exclusive of the name
and address, sent over the wire in the
regular way, transcribed on a postal
card and delivered by mail. The enor-
nous sending capacity of the automat-
ic system which transmits from 1900
to 5000 words minute over a wire,
enabling it to do over one wire the
work of Is wires operated by the old
Morse method Of hand transmission,
allows the company to perform this
service for % and 10 cents respective
ly.
The cheapness of the service and its
speed has appealed to the fancy and
sense of thrift OF the rural communi-
ties adjacent to the cities and states
in which the system is being operated.
So many new avenues of correspond
ence by telegraph have been developed
by these forms of messages since they
we're introduced that the company has
for some months felt the necessity of
providing more adequate means to
cope with it.
To Expedite Delivery.
Hence the application to the govern
ment for permission to connect all its
offices with the general post office.
AS soon as the company receives over
its wire a message of the telepost or
telecard kind it Immediately dispatch
es it to the nearest postoffice, for de-
livery in the first mail following. The
installation of the pneumatic tube is
designed to expedite this delivery.
Since the company began operating
1t has found that a large number of
rural residents, desiring to telegraph.
have mailed their message to the near
est office of the company. Here is
where Uncle Sam collects fee of two
cents. When the telegram reaches
the city or town of its destination over
the Telepost wire, the company puts it
in an envelope if it is letter and at
fixes another two cent stamp to it or a
one cent stamp If it is telecard.
Through the operation of this process,
the government receives from two to
four cents on each message. Uncle
Sam welcomes the idea because the
handling of the mail involves no rail-
road transportation.
Sure to Be Popular.
Anything that will cut down the
annual payment of $4O,o0o.OOO to the
railroads for the carrying of the mails
and at the same time augment the rev.
enue of the government is sure to
prove popular just at this time with
those who direct the destiny of the de-
partment.
The increasing popularity of this SER
vice in all sections of the country in
which it is operating has led the Off
GERS of the company to the conviction
that as soon as it's plans are completed
1t will have a business of over 100000
600 messages year, of this character.
This will necessitate the purchase of
$4.OOO.OOO worth of stamps per year.
The older companies have been
watching this system for long while.
Impressed with their commercial pos
sibilities from the experience of the
Telepost, the Western Union Co. re-
Gently determined to utilize the idea
for might letter" service.