The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-09-22
bURLES0N fAV0RS
FEDERAL SERVICE
May Suggest Government
Ownership in Next An
nual Report. =.

Washington, Sept. 1a.-There is an
uncOnfirlned rumOr thai Postmaster
General Burleson leans rather strongly
toward government ownership of the
telegraphs. and, unless ordered to the
contrary by the presiednt. that he may
make a suggestion to that effect in
his annual repOrt which will he out III
December. q. The postmaster general
declined to discuss the question, but
from other sources it is learned that
he has been making a study of it for
several years. -
1t is also learned that since he went
into the Wilson cabinet he has been
written to and talked to by a good
many prominent people. all, DESTROYS
Of. having the government buy the ex-
listing telegraph lines and operate
As a member Of congress. Mr.. Bur-
Lesson was interested in this matter for
come time, and gave 1t a good deal of
attention. At the white house it was
said that the subject has not come up,
and that the president has given 1t no
attention. If 1t is to he his purpose
to inquire about it. he will defer that
work until later in the season.
1t will be recalled h a government
ownership of existing telegraph lines
was proposed by Postmaster General
Hitchcock in the Taft cabinet. and
that Mr.. Taft frowned upon 1t. for
which reason the subject was dropped.
Nh. Hitchcock. incorporated the rec
ommendation in his annual report. a
year ago the coming winter, saying
In. part:
oral parcel post. the establishment Of
a government telegraph system Offers
In my Judgment. the hest opportunity
for the profitable extension Of the ma
tons postal service"
Advocates of the plan are to I've
found in all political parties. and the
success with which government tcle-
graph systems have been met in III
merous other countries. is pointed to
as a convincing argument in it's favor.
on the other hand. however. political
and labor conditions. unique i'll the
United states. are pointed to as offer
ing objections which will have to he
s%criously met before anything can be
done.
1t has been c~onservatively estimated
that the privately owned telegraph
systems Of the United States have
200. 900 employees. of whom, a large
majority are unionized. II is said by
public men VIII oppose federal owner
ship Of h telegraph that to place
these employees in a department al
ready the most potent politically In the
executive branch Of h government.
! would inevitably throw unionism into
a tremendously important position.
bring the telegraph unions into poll
tics. and inevitably impair the efi-
cheney Of the service.
These objections. of course. are
Theoretical. and in actual practice the
matter might work out in a way quite
different; but the objections are enter
tanned by a good many people. and
1t is safe to say hat there can be no
Legislation on ne subject in congress
until after there has been an oppor-
tunity to study 1t thoroughly. Much
will depend on the attitude Of the
president. II, the Burleson econ
mendation should, be made. as a good
many folk believe it will be. unless
stopped at the white house. another
important. and very live political is
sue will at once he made. Presumab-
H.. union labor generally would favor
the. Oscillations 80 .... !.