Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-12-25

minority and peace and goodwill.
TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH IN
DEPENDENCE.
| To what extent the rapidly increasing
agitation in favor of government own
ership of telephone and telegraph lines
may have FASTENED the separation of the
American Telephone and Telegraph com
pany and the Western Union Telegraph
of both of which President Theodore
y Vail was the executive head may
never be fully known. 1t is to be pre-
sumed the Introduction in Congress #
a measure looking in the direction of
public ownership and pending govern
ment suits to cause dissolution may
have helped precipitate action for a
separation at this time.
We have long held that the people
as a rule did not favor government own
ership and that methods OF management
We're largely responsible for the agi-
taton of government ownership as an
alternative for some of the things COM
planned of.
II we We're correct then it follows as
a matter Of course that the separation Of
companies closely united and the assur-
ance Of general competition in the field
Of communication will tend to forestal
and postpone any successful move in Con-
gress in favor Of government ownership
OF telephone and telegraph lines through
out the nation.
We believe President Vail has done the
wisest possible thing by determining to
meet the federal government half way
and voluntarily obligating the compan-
les of which he is the executive head, to
dispose Of the Western Union Telegraph
company. to refrain from further acquir-
ing even a potentially competing line, and
to grant toll connections to all independ-
ent lines in the future
Mr.. Vail declares that there is no set
back In this separation to the material
interests Of either company, but, on the
contrary, now that there is some under
standing of what can be done and what
can not be done, greater progress along
the lines defined can be expected"
President d. a. Reynolds of the Great
Eastern Telephone company declared the
separation would be "of great benefit not
only to the Independents but also to tho
Western Union and the American Tele-
phone companies 1t will end a bitter
contest that has been waged for many
years, and companies which have no toll
lines from the small cities which they
occupy will now be able to send long dis
lance messages over the American COM
pany's lines, l am sure that in a very
few months the Bell company will benefit
by it as well as the independents"
Clarence II. Mackay of the Postal Tele-
graph Gable company, the telegraph
competitor of the Western Union, who
has frequently complained Of discrimina-
ton by the telephone service against his
company ana in favor of the Western
Union, said: 1T has been a bitterly
fought contest, The result is a gratifying
solution of the whole trouble, We hope
and believe 1t will work out so that no
further cause for complaint may exist
either on the part of the public or our
part Anybody with any perspective at
all could have seen in the past few years
that there would be an end to the huge
combination TO stife competition"
Official Washington is said to regard
President Wilson's declaration 1T is
very gratifying that the company should
mus volunteer to adjust it's business to
conditions of competition" as most sig
nihcant az an almost certain indication he
does not favor government ownership.
The Washington correspondent Of the
New York Herald says that the success
OF President Wilson in restoring conf
peutiVe conditions in the telephone and
Telegraph business Is regarded in the ma
uonal capital as the death blow to gov
ernment ownership.
rms being the case President Wallis
move VIII 20 far to help clear the at
mosphere in the whole public utility
world The easiest service for the gov
eminent to take over after the postal
package service was the wire commune
cnuoh service and with this project side
tracked all other public utility compan-
les VIII be in an easier frame of mind
Now let reasonable measures prevail for
the protection of the interests of both
the public and security holders and a
ne" era Of activity and progress in public
utility service VIII unquestlonably follow.