Year: 1873

the cost of 30 taking; and, again, that II it
is to be an accepted principle Of our nation
al policy that the Government Is to furnish
the people such things as are acknowledged
to be necessary, it stands to reason that sucn
service ah0uld commence with those Things
which are of prime necessity rather than
those which are secondary, and that food,
raiment, shelter and education belong to the
first class, and telegph serVice to the lat
ter. It may be said, however, that to some,
the addition of from six to twelve millions
to the present annual expenditure of three
hundred millions wiz appear Insignificant, in
comparison with the results promised
or anticipated. If there be such, Mr.. Wells
calls attention to the startling fact that at
the present time the ratio of increase Of our
national expenditures for what may be
called the civil service, is In excess OF
that of any of the governments
Of the old world, and since 1864 has
been on the average in excess OF eight per
cent. per annum, while during the same
period the ratio of increase Of population
has not been equal to three per cent. Also
as illustrating the influence of the presen
burden of taxation On the agricultural IN
terest, the facts brought out by the recen
investigation in New Hampshire, which
show that In one of the most fertile and at
the same time favorsbly situated States in
respect to markets, Rockingham county,
the present annual tax for State, county and
local purposes apportiOned to each farm
producing on an average an annual pro-
duct of 68940 is about fifty dollars, OF
including national taxes direct and indirect,
approximate 500, causing continued de-
crease in the value of all real estate proper
tY, and a steady decline in population; or
that other circumstance that to-day the fn-
ture title to no inconsiderablep part of the real
estate of one entire State, South Carolina,
bids fair to be a title derived from the Sher-
if for sales in default Of ability
On the part of land owners
10 pay the tax passed upon them. In view
of such facts as these, it is matter worthy
of the most serious consideration of both
Congress and the people whether there are
any circumstances short of the preservation


of the National honor or existence, which
can Justify the smallest particle OF increase
of the weight Of any existing national bur-


den.


But granting that the people are in pres
ent and urgent need Of greater and cheaper


teiegrapbis facilities, Er. Wells puts the


question whether the ends sought for are ID
any degree likely to be attained under Gov
ernment agency, and the answer to this ne


claims fully in the past and present record
of business which the Government has al


ready monopollzed; and he asserts, at


ter detailing no little Of specihc
evidence, that if any individual or corpo-


rat:on were TO undertake to do business in


the same diiatotJ, expensive and vexatiouS
method as the Government OF tie United


States to-day discharges all of its functions


having relation to the productions, distrlou-


ton and consumption of the country, their


existence, so far as public patronage was


concerned, would be exceedingly limited.


And yet it e under Just such circumstances


that the pubic are asked to seriously con-


slider the expediency of transferring the en-


tire telegraph system of the country to an


agency whose present business capacity Is
| utterly inadequate to the proper discharge
of its present business responsibilities.


But q more serious objection than any
| other tss the scheme Of Federal interference


with the telegraph is to be found in the
fact that such policy is in direct antagon-
| ism with the axioms on which the Goyern


ment has been founded.