The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-11-14
THE TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE


the TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE.
some Comments on the Views of Justlse
Walter Clark, OF the North CnroIius
state supreme Court-On the Govern
ment Ownernship Of These Iustitusions.
San Francisco Examinsr.l
The question Of Governme ent owner
ship Of the telegraph and telephone
lines OF the country 10 the subject Of
an able and convincing argument in
the latest number Of the "American
Law Review" from the pen Of Judge
Walter Clark, member OF the Supreme
Court Of North Carolina. The con-
clusiOn OF the jurist that it 10 the duty
OF the Government to take upon itself
the telegraph and telephone service Of
the United States 10 supported by legal
and business considerations Of over
whelmiDg force.
SO far from sharing In the doubts Of
corporation lawyers in regard to the
constitutional power Of the Govern
msnt to undertake these services,
Judge Clark asserts the strong doctrine
that lit Is unconstitutional for this es-
sentiai branch Of the postal system to
be operated by a private monopoly, or
in any other manner than the Govern
ment."
This proposition is supported with
much force by arguments drawn from
the law, and backed BY history. The
the hands Of the Government. The
jurist argues, "the bestowal Of the sx-
a. 81 inh nd mt fn hA
pOstOfiice carried with it the exclusive
that wOuId make the pOstoffics most
highly efficient, ~ such agencies,
from time to time, shoull be improved
or invented" The government has
acted to . degree On this theory. 1t
has never hesitatel to insist on the
exclusive use Of the steamboat and the
railroad to further the mail service.
The Supreme Court has, BY . unani-
nous decision, declared that the tele-
graph is one OF the "instrumentalities
of the postal service" The Govern
ment itself was Of the same opinion
fro II 1874 to ls47, when it constructed
and operated the frst telegraph lines
in the country, and only bya caprice
Of administration abandoned this i'm
portant service to private companies.
There is no question that the Gov
ernment offers . more efficient postal
service, so far ~ it goes, than would or
could be supplied BY private enter
prise. Yet this service is now con-
fined to the most bulky, slOwest and
least paying part Of the business. The
best paid part of the business is abaL-
doned to Corporation enterprises, with
results that cannot be considered Of
benefit to the people. The argument
of Judge Clark on the business side
will appeal to the common sense of
every one who is not bound to the
present order:
The Army and Navy and the Department
Of Justice are departments of exclusive gov
ernnental functions in the same manner
and to the same extent as the Postoffice.
But suppose that same branch Of the De-
partment of Justice las by turning in the
fines, penalties and tax fess), or Of the War
and Navy, could be made . source OF rsve-
nue., would it not bs singular to turn over
the revenue-paying part Of those depart
ments to a private monopoly, leaviSE the
people to support the non-prohtable part?
Yet that is exactly what Is done with the
Postoffice Department. Though the Post
office is as exclusively governmental func-
ton as the Army and Navy, or the Depart
ment Of Justice the Government operates
only the slow. antiquated, non-paying part
of the Postoffice. leaving the taxpayer to
millions, while the rapid, improved, up-to-
date part of the postoffice; the rapid or cleo
tric mail is operated by private monopoly,
and pays a heavy dividend on its watered
stock OF $3.50, 900, ,OOO-ten times the actual
value of its plant. Besides, this system is
unjust, for the private monopoly naturally
select. the best paying districts, and q large
part of the people are denied the advantages
of modern pOstotfice. In every country
save ours alone the power OF the monopoly
has failed to maintain system so unconsti-
tutional and so opposed to the best interests
cept ours the telegraph and telephone are
constituent parts of the postofice,
with the double result that the postoffice
facilities Of the telegraph and telephone are
extended to the country pOstOfflces, and the
postal revenues show . profit instead OF
loss.
1t is to be observed that the question
involves no new experiment in govern
ment. 1t is not. like theGOvsrnment own
ership Of railroads, new matter for de-
bate. We have the postoface already,
and no one advocates seriously that it
should be abandoned to corporate
management. 1t 10 therefore but .
question whether the work that the
Government is already doing shall be
carried out by the most modern, most
desirable and most profitable agencies
or not.
The majority Of the people will agree
with Judge Clark's declaration that
this privilege Of carrying mail for
hire, whether sent by electricity, steam
or stage coach, or on horseback, is An
exclusive governmental function, and
no corporation or monopoly can 10
gally exercise any part Of it. Il is the
duty Of the Government to do it, and
to do it in the quickest and mOst eff
cient manner, and at the lowest pOssi-