CONTENTS.
| REVIEW OF HON. E. B. WASHBURNE’S PAPER ON THE UNION OF THE TELEGRAPH AND POSTAL SYSTEMS. | |
|---|---|
| Page | |
| A merited Compliment to Professor Morse | [1] |
| Congressional Aid | [2] |
| Erroneous Charges against the American Telegraph System | [3] |
| Brief Statement of Facts | [4] |
| Statistics of the Telegraph in Europe and America for the year 1866, from Official Reports | [5] |
| The Complaint of Indifference to Public Convenience without Foundation | [5] |
| Official Statistics of the Telegraphs in Europe for the year 1866 | [7] |
| Statistics of the Western Union Telegraph Company, of the United States, and of the Montreal Telegraph Company, Dominion of Canada, for the year ending June 30, 1867 | [7] |
| The asserted Union of the Postal and Telegraph Systems in Europe an Error | [8] |
| The Shortcomings of British Telegraphs | [9] |
| The Telegraph System of the United States Unparalleled for its Extent and Efficiency | [10] |
| Asserted Effect of Governmental Control on Belgian Telegraphs | [11] |
| Early Belgian Rates contrasted with American | [12] |
| Natural Increase in Telegraphy | [13] |
| Unfortunate Effects of Low Rates and Competition | [15] |
| American and European Rates compared | [15] |
| The Peculiarities of the Belgian Telegraph Service | [17] |
| Belgian Officials acknowledge the Imperfections of their System | [18] |
| Instructive History of Belgian Telegraphs | [19] |
| Singular Idea that a Small Telegraph System is more Difficult to Manage than a Large One | [20] |
| Necessity for the Unification of the Telegraph System | [22] |
| Estimate of the Cost of Building Telegraph Lines | [24] |
| Doubts regarding the Estimates of Telegraph Experts as to Cost of Constructing Lines | [27] |
| Incorrect Assertion that American Telegraphs are not constructed according to Specifications | [29] |
| Cost of American Telegraphs estimated by European Data | [30] |
| Value of Western Union Telegraph Property, based on European data | [32] |
| Erroneous Estimate of the Value of the Western Union Telegraph Company’s Property | [33] |
| The Organization of the Western Union Telegraph Company | [35] |
| Financial Statistics of the Western Union Telegraph Company | [36] |
| Stations, Lines, and Employees of the Western Union Telegraph Company | [39] |
| English and American Telegraphs compared | [40] |
| Acknowledged Superiority of the early American Service | [41] |
| Remarkably Low Tariffs of the early American Telegraphs | [42] |
| No Similarity between the Telegraph and Postal Systems | [43] |
| Collection and Delivery of Telegrams by Letter-Carriers Impracticable | [45] |
| Mr. Washburne’s proposed Experimental Line | [47] |
| London District Telegraph Company | [50] |
| Telegraphs under Government and Private Control compared | [51] |
| The Telegraph and the Press | [52] |
| REVIEW OF MR. GARDINER G. HUBBARD’S LETTER TO THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL ON THE EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN SYSTEMS OF TELEGRAPH. | |
| Erroneous Statements relative to Belgian Telegraphs | [56] |
| Belgian Telegrams delivered by Post | [58] |
| Want of Uniformity in Rates | [58] |
| Assertion that Commercial Messages are transmitted at a Loss | [61] |
| Correction of Erroneous Statements | [62] |
| Tariffs not Increased by Consolidation of the Lines | [63] |
| Erroneous Assertion that a Large Proportion of the Offices are at Railroad Stations | [64] |
| American and European Telegraph Tariffs compared | [65] |
| Rules of the European Telegraphs | [66] |
| Rules of the Western Union Telegraph Company | [66] |
| Statement showing the Minimum Rate for Telegrams from London to Principal Cities in Europe, and from New York to Principal Cities in America | [67] |
| Singular Notions of Practical Telegraphy | [68] |
| Absurd Theories regarding the Working Capacity of Telegraph Lines | [69] |
| Impossibility of Utilizing the Telegraph Lines by Night as well as Day | [70] |
| Proposed Incorporation of the United States Postal Telegraph Company | [72] |
| Messages delivered within a Mile of the Office free | [73] |
| European Charges for delivering Telegrams | [74] |
| Telegrams to be placed in the Street Boxes | [75] |
| Privileged Persons to have Priority in the Use of the Wires | [75] |
| Proposition to operate Telegraphs at a Loss, and Make Money by it | [76] |
| Speculative Telegraph Schemes | [77] |
| More Startling Inventions for Rapid Telegraphing | [78] |
| Erroneous Table of European Statistics | [79] |
| European Telegrams counted Several Times | [82] |
| Labor the Principal Element of Expense in operating Telegraphs | [82] |
| Prevailing Error of all Theorizers on the Business of Telegraphing | [83] |
| Statistics of Traffic through the Atlantic Cables from July 28, 1866, to November 1, 1868 | [86] |
| PROGRESS OF THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH IN AMERICA AND EUROPE. | |
| The United States | [87] |
| Proportion of Telegrams to Letters | [87] |
| Early History of the Telegraph in America | [88] |
| Evils arising from Separate Organizations | [89] |
| The Unification of the Telegraph accomplished | [90] |
| Telegraph Companies in the United States | [91] |
| Statistics of the Telegraph in the Dominion of Canada | [92] |
| Statement showing the Progress of Telegraphy in Austria | [93] |
| Statement showing the Progress of Telegraphy in Belgium | [94] |
| Bavaria | [98] |
| Denmark | [98] |
| Statement showing the Progress of Telegraphy in Great Britain and Ireland | [100] |
| Decrees regulating the Use of the Telegraph in France | [102] |
| Peculiar Character of the French Telegraph | [103] |
| Statement showing the Progress of Telegraphy in France | [104] |
| Increase in Telegrams not due to Low Rates | [104] |
| Greece | [105] |
| Prussia | [105] |
| Statement showing the Progress of Telegraphy in Prussia | [106] |
| Russia | [106] |
| Switzerland | [107] |
| Statement showing the Progress of Telegraphy in Switzerland | [109] |
| Royal Decree relating to Telegraphs in Spain | [110] |
| Turkey | [111] |
| REASONS WHY GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT ENTER INTO COMPETITION WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE OPERATION OF THE TELEGRAPH. | |
| Political Reasons why Government should not Control the Telegraph | [113] |
| The Post-Office Department not Competent to manage the Telegraphs | [114] |
| Government assumes no Responsibility | [116] |
| The Proposition to Erect Competitive Governmental Telegraphs Unfounded in Public Necessity | [117] |
| The Telegraph Bill proposed to be enacted by Congress without National Example | [118] |
REVIEW
OF
HON. E. B. WASHBURNE’S PAPER ON THE UNION OF THE TELEGRAPH AND POSTAL SYSTEMS.
In the second session of the Fortieth Congress, 1868, a bill was introduced and a paper submitted by Hon. E. B. Washburne, of Illinois, relating to the “Union of the Telegraph and Postal Systems” in the United States, which has naturally attracted public attention, and especially of that large class of our citizens who are identified with the Telegraph interests of the country. The paper bears upon its face such evident marks of care, and the case is presented with so much earnestness and apparent sincerity, notwithstanding the frequency of its errors and the illusory character of its appeals to the practice and experience of foreign nations, that it cannot fail to produce upon the public mind an unjust impression that the usefulness of this great invention is injuriously restricted, and its operations unfaithfully managed, by the organizations having it in control.
To correct these erroneous impressions by calmly and respectfully criticising the statements thus presented, and proving the honesty and fidelity with which the Telegraph service is performed in this country, is the object of this paper.