Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1883 — POSTAL TELEGRAPHY. [ARTICLE]

POSTAL TELEGRAPHY.

Provisions of Congressman Anderson’s Measure. .. _ , .. ■, » t *>." ♦ / [Washington Telegrafn.] Reprqeantative Anderson, of Kansas, ha* revised the Poßtal-Telcgrwtfli biH Introduced by him at the lari and again introduced it In TOe House. By its pho vision s the Postmaster-General if authorized to construct, maintain and operate three 'main line* of telegraph, thenorthoni line to intend from Bangor, Me., to St. Paul, the’central line from New york tQ Topcka, and the southern from Baltimore to San Antonio. The northern main line will be 1,720 and the branches 1,661 miles, a total of 8,881; central line, 1,437 and branches 978, a total of 2,415; thesouthern line 1,896, branches 1,418, a total of 8,314; grand total, 9,110 miles. Ata maximum cost of S4OO per mile the cost is $3,614,000. It is provided that all telepraph lines which since 1865 have been or shall be constructed by the Secretary of War for the use of the army shall be, when no longer needed for military purposes, transferred to the Postmaster-General for the use of the postal telegraph and be part thereof; also, where a junction can be made with the Wires of any railroad or telegraph company has received a grant of public lands, or bonds, or credit of the United States, the PostmasterGeneral may in his discretion cause the connection of the postal telegraph therewith, and all postal-telegraph messages may be transmitted over said wires at Government rates and in the manner prescribed by law. The bill provides for the issuance by the Secretary of the Treasury of $6,000,000 in 3 per cent, bonds of SIOO each, redeemable ah option in ten years, not to run more than thirty years, to be offered lor sale In the open, market at New York, the proceeds of the sale to be applied to the construction and equipment of the postal telegraph by the Postmaster General, who shall hold a sufficient reserve of said bonds as a surplus over the cost of construction as may be necessary to meet the interest for five years. Ample provision is made for the redemption of the bonds, the capital thereof to be reimbursed by the profits, and all fiscal details are properly arranged in consonance with the rules of the Treasury Department. The local offices are to be under the control of the Postmaster, and stations are to be established only in Government postoffices.