The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-12-18
r. POSTAL Service
Ol1R'a gBEasis
Sqy!Is.BIl.urlesorl
is SELF SUPPORTING FOR THE
& FIRST TINE, SINCE THE
/ YEAR 1883.
POSTMASTER GENERAL FAvoRs
/ GOVERNMENT. OWNERSHIP
L OF WIRE COMMUNICATION.

80 =
ship Of telephone and telegraph
lines and an assertion that the pos
tai service nowSis self-supporting for
The first time since 1888, are feat
'urcs Oft annual report Of Post
master General Burleson, transmit
ted today to Congress.
Concerning the acquisition o.
telephone and telegraph lines, Post
master General Burleson says that
the government has demonstrated Its
canacity to conduct public utilities
and, from his present information
he is inclined clearly to the taking
over by the postofrice department Of
the telegraph lines and, possibly
also, OF the telephone lines. Dis,
cussing that the. postmaster general
says: 3.
"a study of the constitutional pur'
poses of the postal establishment
leads to the conviction that tht
5postoffice department should have
control over all means OflthetcGom'
munication ef'-"intelltgencea.r 'H<
first telegraph line in tl4stGeountr'
was maintained and operated as
part of the postal servise and 1T is'tF
he regretted that congress saw fit !tG
rslin0uish this facility to private EN-,
'terprise. The monopolistic nature,9l
the telegraph business makes 1t o.
vital Importance TO the people thai
II be conducted by unsclfsh import,
ance, and this can be accomplished
only through government owner
ship.
Considered Early.
"The act OF July "a, 1866, PROVO
inc for the government acquisition
of the telegraph lines upon paymeh,
Of an appraised valuation and the
act Of 1902 directing the postmaster
General to report to congress the
probable cost Of, connecting teie'
graph and telephone system with tue
nostal service by some. feasible plan
are evidences Of the policy of this
Government ultimately to acquire
and operate tlresc electrical means ;'ts'.' o.
,. as postal facilities
& is done by all the principal ma
lions, the United States alone eA'
ceptedlf TT 49, of N,
ha rcelipost has demonstrated the Gu
Sdtita ~ the government 20 conane
tTS' nub1ic Utilities which fall prop
erly1 within 41le postal provision .
tho constitution. a.
Il "Eycry argument, in favor OF In'
government ownership Of TELEGRAPH
ii'nes may be advanced with eQua
ioric and force in favor Of the gov
crnment ownership, Of telephon
Zines. M las been cqmpetent'y ue
cidcd that a telephone message an
= telegram are the same within IN
moaning of the laws governing tn
tolepraph service and thcrcfoFe II
believed that the statute enao'.,'
80 government to acquire. upon til
nayn7cnt Of an appraised valuation
~: tclerraph lines Of the countr
viii enable the. government to ac-
,nuire the telephone network oil III
country. WhilcTit is true that y"
telephone companies have not com
piled with the requirements of Sec
1ion 1851, revised statutes, this car
not be held to liullify the intent o
tho law. since tile nonuse ON tn
part of the government of any, OF it
constitutional privileges in, no wis
surrenders the right to exercise thes
privileges whenever. the best inter
csts Of the nation domandq =,
Investigation Made. u j.,
I'm! June last committee was, up
pointed to make an investigation d
this subject, to determine the pre-
liminary steps necessary for the gov
crnmeht to take, toward the acquisi'
ton of the telegraph lines of the
country in accordance with Section
5267 OF the revised statutes. Tai;
committee is now engaged in prepar
ing It's preliminary report, and II thu
findings Justify such action prope
Recommendation will be made by TIN
department at a later date"
Postmaster General Burleson pre-
sents an elaborate statement Of The
"""""ial rattons of the postofrtct
department, including discussion
o. nc metnods OF bookkeeping, which
he has changed.
at is gratifying to report" says
he, "that the total. expenses of main
taining the postal; service for the ifs.
cal year ended ,:June 80, 1919, Il
found to be exceeded by the reve.
nuos for the same period; that there
is an actual surplus Of $S,S41 ,9O6.-
u.s. and that the postal service Is
now for the ;irst ctime since 1883
self-supporting:"
Recommendations.
.: Among notable recommendations
TO congress for tl6ienactmeat Of adj
dttional legislation to facilitate and
extend the. operations of the postal
service are madelss Among the more
are the, following:
ITO amend existing law in order
to allow $4,000 indemnity for acct
dental death Of any officer or en-