The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-12-20
FOR GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP,
POSTMASTER GENERAL BURLE-
son URGES FEDERAL TELE-
PHONE AND TELEGRAPH
SERVICE.
In His Annual Report He Says Post
Office Department Has Surplus for
First Time Since f8s3-Criticises
Former Methods of RcckOning Sur
plus--Points out Work Done and
Needs of Department..

ownership of both telegraphs and tele-
phones is urged by Postmaster Gen.
eral Albert $. Burleson, in his annual
report made public today. This fol-
lows recent conferences on the SUBJ
ject between the postmaster general
and President Wilson and reports
that the president was about to make
federal ownership OF the two utilities
an administration policy. Mr.. Burle-
son points to the successful Inaugural
tion and extension of the parcel post
system as guarantee that the post
Office department is capable of handl-
Ing further countrywide business of
great magnitude and Importance.
Another prominent feature of the
postmaster's report is his assertion
that there Is surplus i'm his de-
partment for the year ended June
80. 1919 estimated at $3,S41, ,9O6.7S,
and his argument that this is the first
real surplus since 1883.
He starts his lengthy report with
detailed attack upon previous
methods of figuring the surplus.
These. he says. simply showed the
difference between receipts and ex-
penditures and did not take into ac-
count either amounts paid for debts
incurred i'm previous fiscal years, OF
debfe ipCnrraH anH rnnaid In, ba Uccu
year reported. The assumption that
these two errors would balance each
other. he says. was unfounded and
caused the false appearance of bet
ter condition than the actual one be-
cause of the increased amount of bug
iness done each successive year.
I in regasd 20 taking overvtl,s tele-
.Hiph sAd. ltelenhenss = systst4sS SsaSr.
Busiescn saysin part:
"a study OF the constitutional bur-
poses OF the postal establishment
leads to the conviction that the post
office department should have control
over all means of the communication
OF intelligence. The first telegraph line
In this country was maintained and
operated as a part OF the postal scr
vice. and IL is to be regretted that con-
gress saw III TO relinquish this facility
TO private enterprise. The mono
polistlc nature of the telegraph busi-
ness makes II of vital importance to
the people that il be conducted by un~
selfish interests. and this can be ac-
complished only through government
ownership.
THE act of July "a. 1866. provid-
ing for the government acquisition OF
the telegraph lines upon payment of
an appraised valuation and the act of
1909 directing the Postmaster Gener-
AL to report to congress the probable
cost OF connecting a telegraph and
telephone system with the postal SER
vice by some feasible Plan are evil
dences OF the policy OF this govern
ment ultimately to acquire and oper-
ate these electrical means OF COM
munication as postal facilities, as is
done by all the principal nations, the
United States alone excepted.
The successful operation of the
parcel post has demonstrated the ca
pacity OF the gOvernn ent to conduct
the public utilities which fall probab-
ly within the postal provision of the
constitution.
Every argument in favor OF the
government ownership of telegraph
lines may be advanced with equal log
ic and force I'm favor of the govern
ment ownership of telephone lines. 1t
has been competently decided that a
telephone message and telegram are
the same within the meaning OF the
laws governing the telegraph ser
vice and therefore IL is believed that
the statute enabling the government
to acquire. upon payment OF an APP
praised valuation. the telegraph lines
OF the country will enable the govern
ment To- acquire the telephone net
work OF the country"
The receipts for the year were
s266.619,525.65, an increase OF over
8 per cent over the preceding year, as
compared with corresponding in
crease Of 4 per cent reported
twelvemonth ago. The larger in
crease he attributes To tho parcel post
system started January /. 1913. He
praises the parcel post work of the
pOstonlcc. declaring that about 900
100000 pieces were handled during
the first six months of operation.
Parcel post reaches everywhere.
whereas private expresses extend their
operations only To profitable territory"
ne says Twenty millions of rural
residents now have house-to- house
delivery and collection of parCcls "a