Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-15
could be operated through the Post Once
Department:


az am in entire sympathy with the plan
to acquire the telegraph lines Of the coun-
try to be operated as an adjunct Of the
postal system" said Representative Bur
Lesson OF Texas, the ranking democratic
member of the House appropriations
committee. but II must not be at a fic-
titious value. The Postmaster General
suggests the value Of the lines to be
close to $50. 600. 600: but the government
should take nothing but the findings OF
q federal commission as the basis for
payment. would favor giving the bene-
tit Of the doubt to the telegraph COM
panies In fixing a reasonable price: but
the government should In no case be
mulcted to the extent OF paying for the
water in the great organizations"
Leading republican members declared
that unless telegraph tolls are materially
lowered there will be a general sentiment
in the House in favor Of the government
taking hold Of the systems.
Wants Parcels Post First.
Senator Jonathan Bourne, jr., chairman
OF the Senate committee on post offices
and post roads, before which any legisla-
ton to carry out Mr.. Hitchcock's pro-
posal would go, had this to say this aft
ernoon:
Il am unable to understand the decla-
ration alleged to have been made by
postmaster General Hitchcock in favor
of government ownership Of telegraph
lines. When the advocates Of an enlarge
ment OF our inadequate parcels post serv-
ice asked for his views some time. he OBJ
jected to the enactment Of a law estab-
fishing such service and asked for an APP
preparation of 100000 which he could
expend In experiments on few rural
routes and in few cities. II We cannot
enlarge a service we already have with
M Sv,v H.
experimenting, We are certainly in no
position to undertake an entirely new
service.
Personally I doubt il the Postmaster
General authorized the statement at
tributed to him. Last August Ii was
stated In Washington paper that he
gave an interview saying he had collected
data from foreign countries on the sub
ject OF the parce post. / repeatedly re-
quested him to submit that data for the
use Of the Senate committee on post of.
fees and post roads, but received no re-
Spouse for several weeks, and then Mr.
Hitchcock repudiated the interview and
admitted that he had not collected the
data.
Possibly the time may come when we
will need to make the telegraph an ad-
junct Of the postal service. but just al
present We want a parcels post. and hope
the Intersection Of other subjects, such as
one-cent letter postage and government
telegraph service, Will not De permitted &c
divert attention from this
"Idiosyncrasy," Says Adamson.
II don't think democratic representa-
tives are called on to vote every time
Postmaster General Hitchcock springs ar
idiosyncrasy," added Representative Ad.
amson. "He is not the great democratic
leader
Senator Stone of Missouri, who has beer
much opposed to government ownership
Of railroads, said: II can see more gOot
reasons why the government should owr
the telegraph than why 1t should own TIT
railroads"
Senator BOrah of Idaho: Il am in favor
of the general proposition"
Senator Fletcher OF Florida: "Ordinari
ly have not been in favor of suck things
and don't know that / would favor this
but would not commit myself until
have had an opportunity to study 1t"
Representative Sherley Of Kentucky
1.-The government could much better, a
the present time. figure upon proper
method of handling parcels post than t
attempt to deal with the telegraph ques
ton. I have not Investigated the latte
question"