Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-09-17
@lG@Ml@@l@[1@M Observation-Disclosures NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
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~ Government Ownership of Natural MOnOpOlieS. $E
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Twelve Reasons for the Same.

Among the many reasons why the telegraph
and telephones should be owned and operated
than twelve of such weight that any one o
them should be sufficient to cause the adoption
of that measure by congress:
I. The constitution requires it, That in
strument (article I, section 81 places the estab
lishment of postal facilities exclusively in the
government. Under that provision, originally
the mail was carried on horseback, then by the
stage coach, then with the advent of steam il
was carried by railroad and steamboat. Wher
messages began to be sent by electricity, the
government (IS44-47) therefore logically adopt
ed and operated the telegraph. When in fiji
Of economy it was turned over to private cor
poration Henry Clay, the great Wing leader
Cave Johnson, the Democratic postmaster-gen-
eral, earnestly opposed this unconstitutional ac-
ton. Leading men in all parties since nclud-
ing five postmaster generals, have endeavored
to restore the electric mail to the postohice
but the powerful telegraph lobby has been
too powerful, III congress to permit vote
upon the question, although sixteen out
of eighteen committees to whom bills for that
purpose have been referred have reported in
favor of governmental ownership. One report
was non. commital and only one was averse
2. If the government owned the electric
mail, the telegraph or telephone would be es-
tablished at each of the I s. 900 postolfices, and
indeed, their number would be greatly increas-
ed, whereas now the telegraph goes to only 2I,-
600 points, for the private companies; being op-
Grated purely tor profit naturally seek only such
points as pay we'll, while the object of the gov
ernment would be to serve the greatest number
of people, if possible at bare cost--no profit be-
ing desired. The high rates and restricted NUM-
Der OF Offices now makes this great discovery
of no benefit to the great mass of the people.
3. The government, desiring only to earn
expenses, can give uniform low rate of 5
cents ior ten words between any two points in
the UnioA. This is the opinion of experts.
Tht government could run it more cheaply.
There would be no enormous salaries to the
higher officials, nor would great sums be paid
out as now to maintain lobby at Washington
and at each state capital, and to retain editors
and lawyers to influence public opinion. Then
the government could save the rent now paid
by the companies, as it could use for The tele-
graph and telephones the same buildings it now
owns rents for postolfice purposes at each
point
S. The government, while not paying, as
the private companies do, enormous SUMS
(from $Ioo, 900 DOWN as salaries to the higher
officials, would on the other hand not follow
their example in giving starvation wages to
vast bodies of employees who do the real work
The object of the government not being to earn
big salaries and dividends on an eight fold
watered stock, it could and would pay living
wage to the operators. Besides, the increased
business would largely increase the pay of post
masters at country postoffices.
6. The operators would have some ixty of
tenure, being postmasters, and hence not liable
to be turned out for voting their choice In the
last campaign, we know that heavy pressure
great corporations but public sentiment would
not have permitted the postoffce officials to
apply the same pressure to postmasters.
7. Messages would be, like the mails, more
secret. Now the business of every man is at
the mercy of the heads of private corporation,
which is in no wise subject to the control of
nub1ic n ninion