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Show WESTERN UNION AND THE POSTAL. (Morning Examiner) Wall street has it that the Postal Telegraph Is to be consolidated with the Western Union. Mackay, the principal prin-cipal owner of the Postal, having purchased pur-chased the controlling interest in the Gould line. If the Western Union and the Postal, Pos-tal, by uniting, destroy competition, the government should immediately proceed to class these lines as common com-mon carriers and mako a part r.f the dut of the Interstate Commerce coni- mission the fixing nf reasonable rates on all messaKes carried. The telegraph lines, long years ago, should have been part of iw postal system of the United Slates, as they are in European countries. Under government supervision and ownership, owner-ship, the tolls on telegraphic mos-sages mos-sages would have been proportionately proportionate-ly cheaper than under private ownership, owner-ship, as Is postage on mail matter cheaper than cxpressage. The one commendable recommendation recommenda-tion of the Harrison administration was John Wnnamaker's report in favor fa-vor of the government purchasing the telegraph. As postmaster general, WananiAkcr investigated the Western Union business and found that the I profits of the concern had been so great that to avoid sensational dividends, divi-dends, which might arouse a pupulai demand for lower rates, the stock had been waleied three or four fold, j There are several great, powerful monopolies of the nature of the Western West-ern Union, which. Jf the American government were fully olive to the safeguarding of the interests of th; mass of the people, would be under strict governmental supervision. These monopolies are last becoming defiant of law and dlsregardful of fair dealing, and their owners or principal stockholders aro setting up a law unto themselves. If this condition continues con-tinues for twenty years more, the American people will either bo crushed or openly rebellious, and. in either case, tho outlook will be distressful. dis-tressful. A. R. BOWMAN. |