Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-12-21
Attorney General McRey00idS
Sees Complete Competition
and Better Senicc tor Poo-
pie of Country
MAY POSTPONE PLAN
OF POSTMASTER GENERAL
Government Ownership Not
Likely To Occur Soon IF Dis
solution Is Carried Out as
+ Contemplated,

ty vossaSa seosss, srfs4st tstste vassi
Mashiucton. Dec 90 Attorney
General McRoNnolds told Friends to.
tay that scores of thc independent
4 telephone companies in thc CnUel
states were erauued with the aercc.
mtnt tho so-lailc3 telephone irnst has
made with .hc department IL jus
Upc which will give thcm the use at
thousands ot milcs oI trunk tines on
c4eted hy she Rcn companies The
department be said. hardly coult
have cNpeeted any court to ordor the
Reli company to allow independents
to make uso az l'cll equipment and
there practically WAS no chance that
the n dependents could raise aaffI
cicnt tunds, ID thnN bad ,hc dcs.ro
&C. build competing louc distance lines
10 hiring about competition ln n.
terstatc business il was pointed ans
would have required an OUTLAY rf
many millions VT dollars ana proha
hN would have meant loss or q scveu
falling off va the receipts of che Rel
and the independents that had tried
To set the long distance business
According 90 figures mli hcfore the
attorney general hy y. e. EnrshurN.
The vice president ot tho Nmcrltan
Telephone and Telegraph company
who conducted ihe negotiations Nhlch
lsd io the agrcemcm 1i last night
There are mcrc tnN aont0 lndnpend-
ent telephone companies m hr coun
try The npcnns of the nell lines
to all these companies under the slime
pie end Inexpensive plan. 10 Is &C.
clafed Will mean that every onp uf
these companies has the right 90
make use of the BELL liura in every
part W the union
There was talk todoy at the dc
parmcnt of Justice of action hN the
Bell company to allow subscribers or
Independent companies In cities to
talk to Bell subscribers through ncs
exchanges and Bell lines. hut Nj
McReynolds said that this vas aton
that soomed to he ftr n the future
So Gar as he knew. the independent
companies wore wel satisfied with
the American Telephone and Tele-
graph proposal and its agreement 10
make no further extension aud 90 giNe
up It's holdings la such instances 1s
the department or the interstate com
merco commission suRRentcd such nc.
ton Announcement Of tie agreement
caused an unusual buzz of speculation
here today. In some quarters IL was
regarded as an indication of the fight (
that some of the conservative mem 4
bofs Of President Wilson'S cabinet /
win make against government own I
ershlp Of public utilities. Il % known .
that Mr. McReYnolde H strongly ou
posed 60 government ownership The F
attorney general is SAID 10 feel that I
government owncrHhip is likely toI
come In the United Stntea unless there
can be a restoration of free competi
ton IN public service but he believes
the agreement with The American +
ana Telegraph company iH
q long step toward n return to rumpe-
utiou In the telephone ana telegraph
field IN hlR opinion. the ahwmau
law rs sufficiently strong weapon
to force any monopoly 10 come to
terms and rs convinced Tint clrAr
Of HE power VIII d.
much 10 allay the growing sentiment
for government ownership poHlmas
ter General Burieaou. 10 became
known today n0w has before him al
.he data collected ana put IN con
.fete form respecting The proposed
government acquisition of telegraph
md telephone lines. but Il IS under
stood that IL rs not his present Dut
pose to submit the findings ~ hia
xperts 10 congress unless they arc
ieslrcd
if congress wishes ~ take 40 fhs
question. tho postmaster general IS pre-
iafed t. submit bis 5plnlos on the sub.
tct lu Mf Burlesou's annual report,
.uppIied ~ the newspapers. under the
aptlon. postal teieafnphs ana teie
,houes appeared this paragraph
~ June last, q committee was 80
,cluted 70 make 40 Investigation Of
his subject t0 determine the prellni
AIRY steps necessary f0r the govern
nehf to take toward the acquisition
Il the telegraph lines ln the coHnlfg
n accordance with section 52g7 of
he revised statutes This committee
s now engaged in preparing It's Pre- 8
lmlHar1 report aBd # the findings (
gstifg slen action proper recbmtnen (
.atons ull BE- made ~ fhe depart
1fnts at later date
IS the report finally was issued IN I
.ermanent form this paragraph was
Eliminated and lhe failWeing s1tsf z
Mea
Since Jane last iae department..
as been eond9aine II careful laves y
gafi9n 20 determine f0e dasir88ilitg 9
"a yfacfic8bilitN m extending iAe
ownership ora eoHfr6I ~ 8
leans of eonmanfc4iioa with q view 3
: she ACQUISITION q eha eovwnment s.
tae telesraph and feispheae "a d