The Washington herald., 1912-01-16
NATIoNALIzING TELEGRAPH
TO BE BITTERLY OPPOSED

While the announcement OF Post
master General Hitchcock that he viii
advocate before the committees of Con-
gress the Matchmaking OF the telegraph
service of the country as a part of the
Post-ofice Department came like bolt
out Of the blue sky, the theory IS not
new. II has been much discussed for
ten years and more as proper thing
for the government to do. 1t has al
ways met violent opposition from that
class of men who believe that Federal
management or control Of private enter
prise is wrong, and it will meet the
same opposition now.
There is little doubt that large and
growing segment of the American peo-
pie is IN favor of the government own
ership of the telegraph, just as they are
in favor of nationalizing the express
business in the parcel post Postmas-
ter General Hitchcock, closely in touch
with the people as he is, has undoubted-
ly heard much of this ground swell Of
sentiment in favor of Federal acquisi-
ton and management of the telegraph.
We might say that the reason why he
has made his announcement, almost un-
timely in its coming, is that he has
heard much more of. this popular sen
timent than any one else connected with
the government, not excepting the
President.
That Mr. Hitchcock has been precipi-
tate in declaring himself on the sub
ject has been made very clear in the
last twenty-four hours. His views
have neither the sanction of the White
House nor of Congress. If he is not
called TO severe account at the Cabinet
table. he will be bitterly assailed in
Congress for his .temerity: And yet
while the politicians will find IT inoon-
venient to get over the jolt which the
Postmaster General has given them, Mr..
Hitchcock has hit upon a theme sufi-
ciently popular to give him broad
ground to stand upon.
Mr.. Hitchcock has set forth plainly
in his statement the many good reasons
why government ownership of the tel
egraph would be advantageous, and the
argument of largely extended and
cheaper service such as is realized in
every country where the experiment
has been tried need not be recapitulated
here.
The stock objection against the plan
is that business which has been organ
lied, capitalized, and managed by pri-
vate companies should be immune from
government Intervention. This princi-
pie is so ingrained in the minds of
Americans that all such innovations as
postal banks, parcel post, government
ownership of telegraphs, and other nat
ural monopolies have been slow in max
ing headway in our country. Then there
is the political objection that in the
Matchmaking of the telegraph a party
machine would be created compared
with which the present Post-othce De-
partment is not marker, and it will be
urged with much force against Mr..
Hitchcocks plan.
Many will think, and this is likely
to be the attitude of the administration,
that Mr.. Hitchcock, in realizing his pos
tai savings banks, and in bringing Con-
gress to favorable consideration of the
parcel post, has gone quite far enough
for the present in the direction of na-
tionalizing natural monopolies.
As vastly interesting theme of rap
idly growing importance the Postmaster
Generals plan is slluring. and the dis
cIssion it will arouse will be salutary,
but under the circumstances it would
seem that the Matchmaking Of the tele-
graph has not much chance of immedi-
s4e resI,zs4;oa