The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-22
Takes Sharp Issue With Post.
master General Hitchcock
ON TELEGRAPH SERVICE
In Message to Congress To-day He Ex-
pressed Belief That Government
Couldn't Conduct Service So
Well as Private interests.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 22.-Presideni
Taft to-day informed Congress that he
did not approve of Postmaster General
Hitchcocks suggestion that the govern
ment buy and operate all telegraph lines
as an adjunct of the postal system. Mr.
Taft said that if it could be shown that
the public would benefit by receiving
service at less price than is now paid
he might think differently of the plan,
but that he was not convinced such
would be the effect.
After referring to the practical wiping
out of the postal deficit and other fea-
tures of Mr.. Hitchcock's administration
of affairs, Mr.. Taft in transmitting the
postofiice departments report to Con
gress to-day said:
"There is only one recommendation in
which | cannot agree-that is one which
recommends that the telegraph lines in
the United States should be made part
Of the postal system and operated in
conjunction with the mail system. This
presents question of government own
ership of public utilities which are now
being conducted by private enterprise
under franchises from the government.
81 believe that the true principle is
that private enterprise should be permit
ted to carry on such public utilities IN
der due regulation as to rates by prop
er authority. rather than that the gov
ernment should itself conduct them.
This principle / favor because 7 do not
think it in accordance with the best
public policy thus greatly to increase
the body Of public servants.
"Of course. If it could be shown that
telegraph service could be furnished to
the public at less price than it is
now furnished to the public by telegraph
companies, and with equal efficiency the
argument might be a strong one II IA
vor of the adoption Of the proposition.
But am not satisfied from any evidence
that if these properties were taken over
by the government they could be man
aged any more economically or any more
efficiently or that this would enable the
government TO furnish service at any
smaller rate than the public is now re-
quired to pay by private companies
"More than this, it seems to me that
the consideration of the question ought
to be postponed until after the postal
savings banks have come into complete
and smooth operation and after a par
GELS post has been established, not only
upon the rural routes and the city de-
liveries, but also throughout the depart
ment. IT will take some time to perfect
these additions to the activities of TIE
postoffice department, and we may well
await their complete and successful adop-
tion before we take on new burden in
this very extended department"
The president found much, he said.
to commend in Mr. Hitchcock's depart
ment. "T cannot speak with too great
emphasis" he said "of the improvement
in the postoffice department under the
present management" said the president
He showed that there was a surplus of
$2I9,llSl2 at the end of the last fiscal
year compared with deficit of $l1,479,-
l77047 two years before This was not
to be accounted for, the president point
led out, by reductions of force or num-
bers of postoffices or salaries, but by sci
lentifio economy.
Mr.. Taft approved the adoption of a
parcels post, recommended by Mr.. Hitch
cock; said that the placing of assistant
Ipostmasters in the civil service should
be followed by placing under the classi-
fled service of postmaster and commend
ed the postal savings system. Prepara-
tions are being made, he said, to estab-
lish this system at about 10000 fourth
class Offices.