The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-02
No More Telephone
Monopoly Will
They Stand.
A GOVERNMENT SERVICE.
Public Lines Will Soon Be
in Operation and in
Competition.

They have begun an agitation in
Great Britain for the abolition of the
telephone monopoly by the establish
ment Of a rival service controlled BY
the state. The pressure that is being
brought to bear on the government to
buy out the telephone companies Gas
the private telegraph corporations were
purchased so years ago., Is very strong,
and would undoubtedly be successful,
if the telephone people were willing tol
accept any sort of a reasonable price
for their golden privileges. But, en-
boldened by the popular clamor for a
governmental telephone service, they
place so high g. valuation on their
plants and franchises three times more
than their real worth, 1t is claimed gen
orally in the press, that no admins
tration would think of saddling so
great a load on the tax payers Shout
ders, and so abolition by purchase is
regarded as out of the question.
Another and equally as effectual cure
will be found. however for the monop
oily. 1t will take the form of abolition
by competition, and state competition
into the bargain. A determined move
ment Will soon be begun in parliament
for the passage of a bill empowering
the national government to eXpend ten
millions Of dollars in ENGRAVING pub
| lie telephone system on the already al
lied postal and telegraph services, and
the running of the three conformity I'M
der one departmental system The
scheme is pretty certain TO be adopted
by parliament, and its contamination
/ VIII put an end to the fleeing of the
PUBLIC by those who enjoy the rich ad-
Vantages of this great monopoly. The
private corporations will either have
to come down in their charges and rem
tals to meet the government rates
which, Of course, will be fixed far below
those Of the telephone companies, or
else throw up the sponge and go out Of
business. or sell to the government at
a reasonable price.
When the British government decid-
ed to make the telegraph service
public department and purchased, for
several millions, the rights of the pri-
vate companies, there was a universal
howl from the timid and conservative.
VINO saw in the project only visions of
growing state paternalism if not of
downright socialism. But the pur-
chase was made; the telegraph service
Of England, Ireland, Scotland and
Wales was brought under imperial
control; every post office became also a
telegraph office, and the operators, like
the mail clerks and carriers, were
placed under the civil service laws
The man does not live in Great Brit
ain now, who would go back to the 'old
days of private monopoly OF the tele-
graph. Not only has the service stead
lily kept pace with the advance of the
times, but the rates for telegraphing
nave been systematically reduced, un>
til now, and for several years back,
one can send a private message any
where within the British islands at the
minimum rate of d. (12 cents) per 20
words-about half the rate charged by
the Western Union and Postal Tele-
graph companies in this country. I'll
should also be stated, however, that
the British operators DO not receive as
good salaries as do the American oper-
atOrs, while large proportion of the
subordinate telegraphirg staff is COM
posed Of women.
An American going for the first time
into British or Irish city post office,
and looking around for a moment
would be apt to rub his eyes in aston
ishment. He would find himself in
concern devoted to a good many other
things besides the routine of receiving
and forwarding Of mail Over one Of
fee door he would read Post Office
Savings Bank" where deposits as
small as one penny (two cents) are TAX
en- in over the counter by government
teller. Over another he would see the
sign Telegraph Office" where the
click, click of the instruments is
unceasing throughout the "A hours of
every day Of the year. Then again he
would notice the Pensions Depart
ment," where paymaster cashes the
vouchers Of the army and navy pen
sioners.
But ne would be struck most of all
! by the section of the post office as
| signed to the Parcels Post" This is
| a unique institution and is in existence
! only some Is years. II is nothing less
| than a government express office, and
| its operation has seriously affected the
| private express companies. Looking at
| the array of articles piled up behind
the counter, in readiness for the gov
eminent delivery wagons, I'll
would be easy to get the idea
that one could send almost
anything by post, short of a ships
anchor or an upright piano. He would
see in the assortment such curious
mail packages as baby carria ges Called
! perambulators); bird cages, with the
pretty songsters chipping away behind
| their prison bars; cradles; band boxes;
| dressmakers' and tailors' bundles: ket-
! tie drums and big drums; fowling
pieces; pots and kettles; packages Of
groceries of all kinds, wet and dry;
Ichildren's toys from wax dolls to hob
| by horses: samples Of merchandise of
almost every description; in fact, "a
complete line" as the salesman say
! of goods that in this country could on
lily be sent by express or freight.