Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1914-02-05
WOULD HAVE u. S.
OWN WIRE LINES
POST OFFICE COMMITTEE PRE-
SENTS STRONG ARGUMENT TO
THE SENATE SATURDAY

Washington, Jan. 1.-Postmastel
General Burleson submitted to the
senate,y the recommendations of the
department committee appointed by
him to Investigate the practicability
of government ownership of telephone
and telegraph lines.
The report declared, "the way to af-
ford to the people the complete, mod
ern postal facilities that the constitu-
ton makes it the duty of the givern-
ment to provide" is by carrying out
the following suggestions:
"One-That congress declare gov
ernment monopoly over all telegraph
telephone, radio communication and
such other means for transmission of
intelligence as may hereafter develop,
"Two-That congress acquire by
purchase, at the appraised value, the
commercial telephone net work, ex-
cept the farmer lines.
"Three-That congress authorize
the postmaster general to issue in his
discretion and under such regulations
as he may prescribe, revocable licenses
for operation, by private individuals
S1Ilu wi pole1tiolo ouCIA Pn1 70 VI .AAS
telephone service and such parts of
the telegraph service as may not be
acquired by government"
The recommendations were signed
by Daniel C. Roper, first assistant
postmaster general, Merritt c. Chan
ces, chief clerk of the postoffice de-
partment, John C. Rooms, superinten-
dent of the division Of salaries and
allowances, composing the committee.
The recommendation was accom-
panied by statistical information col
lected after one of the most eXhaus-
tive investigations ever undertaken by
the postoffice department. The report
states that the United States is
"alone of all the leading nations which
has left to private enterprise the own
ership and operation of the telegraph
and telephone facilities"
Also that practically all the econo-
mists who treated the subject are
agreed that the telegraph and tele-
phone facilities should be controlled
by the government.
1t declared further that Theodore
N. Vail president Of the American
Telephone and Telegraph Co., by his
statemt i shat the telephone business
must be "under common control" ano
sufficiently strong to constitute one
system communicating, inter
dependent and universal" himself
pointed out that the most efficient
telephone service can be attained only
under condition of monopoly.
The report then points out that
private monopoly has no incentive to
extend it's facilities to unprofitable
territory, while the government would
serve all the people by an equaliza-
tion of rates. Also that the money
taken by the private monopoly in big
profits would be turned back to the
people through the medium of a truly
universal service at reduced rates.
The declaration is made that it is
obvious that the longer the govern
ment waits for the acquisition of these
facilities, the greater will be the cost
It states the economic waste will per.
nit private enterprise to build ur
vast properties that eventually must
be taken over by the government at q
cost out of all proportion to the value
of the parts of such properties that
may be utilized to advantage in the
pOstals system,