The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-06-11
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

bIOOhllSS Register bureau, NaSnlnEtOn, DC.
(By j. +. Jones)
The success of the parcel post ap-
pears to have inspired the post office
department with the notion that there
are nor worlds to conquer, and Mr..
Burleson is said to be impatient with
anxiety owe the fact that the pro,
gram of the present session of con
gress has at NJ time included moving
600, 900 telephones are operated into
the sanctums of his postmasters
throughout the country. Congress
realizes that with SO many wires in
the air hat the undertaking of govern
ment ownership of telephones may be
a difficult problem to pull across. The
postmaster general refers to the tele-
graph business as being of a "monopol-
istic nature" and says it is "of vital
importance to the people that it be
conducted by unselfsh interests"
Therefore he would acquire all tele-
graph and telephone lines. AS might
have been expected one of the first
demands upon Washington in antici,
patton of government ownership has
called for an equalizing of rates for
telephone service, and it is pointed
out that this policy which has been
applied to the whole postal system, in,
Guiding the recent acquisition of the
parcel post, should relieve New York
of it's average rate of $50 a year for
business phones and similarly high
residence rate, and distribute the bur-
den of the cities throughout the coun-
try. Quite naturally telephone users
in the big cities would welcome a sys-
tenn by which they could average up"
with the greater portions of the coun-
try, where 50 a month for residence
service, and So a month for business
phones, is the usual rate. The aver
age rate for all phones in New York
is $50 a year, while the rate for the
entire Bell system is $30.93. OF curse
New York thinks it is abused-and so
do the people of San Francisco, Seattle
Chicago and all other cities. England
has been averaging up" since taking
over the telephones, with the result
that outside of London residence rent
ais average $3S.SS, while business
phones limited to 1900 calls cost
$43.74. London, Liverpool and other
metropolitan centers have lower rates
in consequence. Independent of the
larger issues involved in government
ownership there is a good deal of talk
among members of congress to the
effect hat there has already been too
much of this sort of business that
"eQualizes" in favor of the cities at
the expense of the rest of the country,
and while following the story of rates
at home and abroad the student of the
question finds that while there are not
nearly as many telephones in proper
ton to population in Europe as in the
United States, that there is a good
deal more profanity over there be-
cause of the inefficient service.
During the past months Sena-
tor Boise Penrose has been having a
delightful time in the state of Pennsyl-
vania, and the news of his progress
has been joyfully received by stand
pat republicans and has brought woe
and CONSERVATION to the progressives.
Penrose has developed into a good
deal of a progressive republican him.
self during the past two or three years,
and being a very adaptable politician,
he early declared in favor Of the direct
election of the United States senator's.
But now Colonel Roosevelt is back
from the wilds of South America, and
he is regarded as a great big buzzing
fy in the Penrose ointment. The
Colonel has always been very loyal
to his friend Pinchot, and he promises
fight to q finish in the keystone state
In behalf Of the former forester. Per-
haps in due time the case Of Senator