The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-18
Successful Operation of Parcel
Post Has Demonstrated
Government Ability to Con-.
duct Public Utilities, He Says.
Refers to Large Increase in
Postal Receipts and Declares
it Justihes Consideration 81
Question of Government
Ownership of Telegraph.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 17--Postmastss.
General Burleson. In his annual res
port, advocates serious consideration
at this time of the subject of adding
the telegraph and telephone part at
our postal service" The report Wa
made public tonight.
Mr.. Burleson has held several long
conferences with the president on this
subject, and his strong advocacy 0f
this radical innovation would hardly
have been incorporated In the report
II it had not already met with the
endorsement of the president.
Furthermore, Mr.. Burleson now haa
the draft of bill before him da-
signed to bring about the transfer ox
these enormous interests from private
to public hands. 1t is understood th&t
Mr.. Burleson Is considering whether
this bill should be endorsed by the
administration, or whether anothee
measure should be framed.
Has Right Already.
The most interesting feature OF the
postmaster generals comment on this
important subject is his contention
that the government already has legis-
lative authority to take over the tele-
graph and telephone lines. He insists
that this authority is contained In 4
statute passed by congress in 1866,
OF course, though, further action would
be necessary by congress to authorixe
the immense bond Issue that would b
necessary to carry out this great un-
dertakins.
Postmaster General Burleson refers
in beginning to the large Increase I'M
postal receipts that is to flow from the
parcel post business.
The indication of largely increased
postal ser sf4t4esg -ite.33 tssttt4Asc -
serious consideration at this time Or
the subject of adding the telegraph and
telephone as a part OF our postal ser.
vice.
The successful operation OF the par.
eel post has demonstrated the capacity
of the government to conduct the pub
lie utilities which fall properly with.
in the postal provision of the conati-
tuition.
Has Heen Investigating.
Since June last, the department has
been conducting an investigation to
determine the desirability and prac.
ticability of extending the governs
ment ownership and control OF means
OF communication. with view to the
acquisition by the government OF thu
telegraph and telephone facilities. to
be operated as an adjunct to the posi-
tai service. The postmaster general IL
now engaged in reviewing the data
collected, and later. IL desired, will
submit same to the appropriate cone
mittees of congress for their consid-
Grafton"
The bill. which Mr. Burleson now
has under consideration, has been
drawn by Representative David I'll.
Lewis. OF Maryland. the father OF thu
parcel post legislation. Lewis has been
working on this problem OF govern
ment ownership of wire facilities for
months and has collected bushol III
statistics. His bin, however provides
only for the acquiring first by tha
government of the telephone lines a.
the country. long distance and local
lines ES
The Lewis scheme ia to equip thu
telephone lines of the country in such
a way that they can be used also IN i
telegraph service. Lewis proposes
then to have the federal governments
undertake the conduct OF a reguiar
telegraph business as well as the
management of the immense tele.
phone system of the country. In otherss
words. Mr.. Lewis would have The
government enter actively into CONF
petition with the existing telerranh*
lines. He would subject them to th2s
same sort of treatment that the ax-s
press companies have received through
the competition of the parcel post ss
Mr.. Bur1eson's views. expressed Ia
day. however. do not Indicate arav
such limited action on TIL. Eoyeao
ment's part.