The Washington herald., 1912-01-15
HITCHCOCK ASKS
P. 0. TELEGRAPH
Continued from Pas. one.

purchase telegraph lines operating in the
United States at an appraised value Mr..
Hitchcock hopes that Congress will speed
fly enact legislation In harmony with this
law providing for the taking over by
the government Of the existing telegraph
| systems at terms that shall be fair 70
| their present owners. Every reason for
the transmission of intelligence by mail
| under government control can be urged
with equal force for q similar transmits
| sion OF telegraphic communications.
Because OF the more extensive organi-
zation maintained by the postal service
and the freedom from taxation and other
charges to which a private corporation
is subject, the government undoubtedly
win be able to AFFORD greater telegraphic
facilities at lower rates to the people
than the companies now conducting the
business Next to the introduction Of a
parcel post, for which there is already
a strong popular demand. the establish
ment Of a government telegraph system,
in the opinion of the Postmaster General,
offers the best opportunity for the profit
able extension Of our postal business. He
sees no reason why the United States
should lag behind other nations In enlarg-
ing its post-ofice system TO include not
only postal savings. but also parcel post
and government telegraph facilities"
"nar Nue La" Iss
The Federal statute. to which Mr..
Hitchcock referred. reads as follows:
THE United States may, for postal.
military. or other purposes, purchase all
the telegraph lines. property, and effects
Of any or all companies, acting under
the the provision of the act Of July "A.
1856 entitled An act TO aid IN the con-
struction Of telegraph lines and to Sc
cure to the government the use Of the
same for postal, military, and other pur-
poses or under this title, at an ap-
praised value, to be ascertained by I'VE
competent, disInterested persons, two of
whom shall be selected by the Postmas-
ter General Of the United States, two by
the company interested, and one by the
four so previously selected"
Two Democratic members Of the SEN
ate Committee on Post-ofices and Post
Roads-Senator Bankhead, Of Alabama,
and Senator Smith. Of South Carolina-
expressed their strong disapproval of
the recommendation OF government own
ership and control of telegraph lines.
Senator Bankhead, who is at the head
Of the minority Of the COMMITTEES. said:
The plan, in my opinion, will have very
little consideration by either the House
or the Senate. The great cost OF the
undertaking will prevent favorable con-
sideration for II. but more important
than that Is the question OF the govern
ment engaging in private business. The 4
telegraph business should be left to
private enterprise, and the government
fit OF the public"
Calls the Law chImerIcaI.
Senator Smith characterized the plan |
Of the Postmaster General as "chimeri- |
cal" He declared It TO be 'an attempt |
to muddy the waters and divert attention |
from the parcel post legislation" The |
Senator said:
'CSpgress IL undoubtedly favorable to |
the Adoption Of a parcel post system. |
and this recommendation for government |
ownership Of telegraph may delay the |
parcel post plan by divertinE attention |
to the new proposal There are other |
plans for extension Of the postal service, |
and these, too. will suffer by the pre- |
cipitation Of this new issue. II the Post |
master General really desires to make |
his department OF more value to the peo-
pie he cam start in by improving the |
service, which. in my Judgment Is more |
demoraliZed to-day than II has ever been |
heretofore in the history OF the country"
Senator Briggs. Of New Jersey. a Re- |
puOHCdn HemDer OF the Senate Com
mittee on Post-ofices and Post Roads, |
also demurred to the Postmaster GEN
erals suggestion.
IT am not an advocate Of government |
ownership" he said 'T do not favor
adopting any new plan simply because
some other country has followed II sue
cessfully. The foreign countries which |
own and operate telegraph systems have
large standing armies, and II is alto
gether probable that they regarded gov
eminent ownership of the telegraph lines
as desirable from a military viewpoint"
Great BritaIn's Example.
Great Britain recently took over all pri-
vate telephone lines IN the United King
dom and made them a part OF the gov
ernment's system. Following this an
nouncement from London, Theodore N.
Vail. president of the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company and the
Western Union Telegraph Company,
which in combination constitute the
greatest communication trust in the
world, gave out a statement IN which
he said conditions here differ from those
in England, and that government owner
ship in this country would mean a tax
on the masses for the benent OF one