The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-02-02
POSTMASTER GENERAL
TRANSMITS REPORT
TO THE SENATE

TO
REc0MMENDst G0VERNMENTs MO.
AMORTIZATION OF ALL TELE.
GRAPH, TELEPHONE AND RIA:
do COMMUNICATED
| WASHINGTON, d. e., Feb.
Government monopo iizatipa OF ali
ltslsgrapli, teleph hone and radio com.
munication IS ecommended by Post.
master General Albert s: Burleson In
Transmitting 70 the senate the re-
port Of the special committed ap.
pointed by his depar tment to consid:
crsthe. matter. (, 4
Immediate government ownership
of telephone lines is recommended,
with system of license for the 9th
or agencies Of communication, estab-
Fishing a government monopoly even
where there is not actual ownership!
@rhc only way to afford to the peo-
IIrlc the complete and modern postal
facilities that the constitution makes
the duty Of the government to pro-
wide is made by this committee" de-
clares tile postmaster general, who
enumerates these findings: a.
That congress declare. govern
ment monopoly over all the tele-
graph, telephone and radio commu.
nication, and such other means ror
the Transmission sofaintelligence as
may hereafter develop; a.. ri
Ni"ThatS congress acquire. by pur-
chase at iappraisediyalue thetcommer-
cial telephone, network, except the
former Ines u v 5tas ~
"That'congress authorize the post
lmaster general tolissue in. his dis
cretioni and under such regulations as
he may. prescribe receivable licenses
for the operation by private indivld-
uals, associations, companies and cor
rorations of the telegraph service
and such parts of the telephone SER
vice as may not be acquired by the
government"
The report is made by a depart
mental committee composed of Dan
liel C. RoperS first assistant postmas-
Ter general; Merritt 0. Chance, chief
clerk, Postoffice department, and
John G. Rooms. superintendent divi-
sion of salaries and allowances.
Would Not Buy Telegraph.
Government ownership of the tcie-
phone rather than telegraph lines is
recommended for the reason that tel
egraph service can be more readily
|supcrimposed OIL telephone lines than
telephone service on telegraph lines.
1t is pointed out also that because
Of the great cost involved, 1T would
/ p j
he unwise from commercial point
Of view for the gocrnmcnt to ac-
quire by purchase the telegraph lines.
The telegraph business is on the
wane as compared to the telephone
business, the report says, and in the
decade from 1900, to 1910 while the
population, of the country increased
about is per cent, the average daily
telephone connections increased 2S7
per cent, and the number of tele-.
graph messages only, IS per cent.
THE telegraph companies, the COM
|mittee says have already lost mos.
of their development of the toll tele-
phone service and will probably lose
much of the long distance business
when the toll rates become adjusted
on cost basis.
$200,60 900 Telephone Cost
Another oD;eccDn to acquiring
the .telegraphtlines is that even the
duplicate plants Of rival companies
would be inadequate because the
lines have been extended only to
profitable territory
The. cost Of acquiring; the telegraph
facilities is estimated at .s225,O 900, 0oe.
as against 100000, 900 for the long
distance, and toll telephone lines. As.
there are some 5000 proprietors Of
telephone lines, payments would ex-
tend over a period that would allow
ample time to market bonds. the re-,
port adds. ~
Quote Constitution.
The report treats the subject Of.
telegraphs and telephones from the.
constitutional. economic, engineer
ing and financial viewpoint and
states that it was clearly the inten-
ton of the trainers Of the constitp-;
tion that the government should,
have a monopoly over all means for
the transmission of intelligence and:
that the board provision that con.
gress shall have the power to estab-
fish. postoffices and post roadsr con-