Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-18
SAYS THE PUBLIC
MUST OWN LINES
representative Lewis of Penn
sylvania Has Bill Carrying
Out Burleson Plan.
PEOPLE ARE URGED TO ACT
n Trey Give Proper Support to Con-
sressren, He Asserts Ownership
viii Be Accomplished.

Washington. Dec. 1S-''It is up 10
the people 20 speak and speak in I'm.
mistakable terms II they want cheap
tclephCue and telegraph" said Repre-
sentative David J. Lewis. Mr.. Lewis
is the author OF the plan for govern
men- ownership and operation OF the
wire systems.
In these piping days" he contin-
ned. when a ton Of merchandise will
travel over the railways for about the
same expense as a three-minute talk
+ sent 10 the same destination by long
FL distance telephone: when a telegram
corporation says take it or leave IT. in
a no-cEalant way when you tell them
that heir rate of % cents for a 10.
word message and cents for each
+, extra word Is more than twice the
rate charged in countries enjoying the
p blessing Of postal telegraph: and
whe1 the movement TO postaIize our
2 wires is halted by the paraIyzing DOW
q Of q greatly profiting monopoly. It
"A Is up TO the people TO speak. if they
want cheap telephones and telegraph"
For GoVernment Telephones.
Representative Lewis is to intro
duce new bill for the postalization
OF the telephone and telegraph SER
vices. He believes that if public opin-
ion IS brought to bear on congress
with sufficient insistence. the day Of
government telephones and telegraphs
is a. hand.
There are approximately 200. 900
miles Of pole line and 5000. 600 miles
OF wire in the interurban telephone
lines OF this country" explained Mr..
Lewis. Then he continued. There
are about 10000. 900 miles of local
phone wires, and some 5000. 900 phones
IN service. II is proposed that these
lines be taken over by the postofice
department and operated in connec-
ton with the postal service Adopt
ing method in common use in other
countries, telegraph machines may
then he connected with the telegraph
lines and used simultaneously. with
out interfering with spoken messages
Il any manner. Thus the cost of pur-
chase OF the telephones is practically
the entire cost Of securing two sys-
tems-telephOne and telegraph The
payment for these lines is proposed TO
be made upon the appraisal Of the in
tersrate commerce commission the
value 10 be the physical valuation Of
the property. with due allowance for
depreciation. As the lines are to be
taken on a stated date. ii IS suggested
that until appraisal can be made the
valuation be assumed to be the book
capital, and on that interest al the rate
Ct I per cent be paid stockholders of
record adjustments being possible
when final settlement arrives
Why Public Should Own.
The reasons why the public should
own these lines are easy 10 under
stand. As in the parcel post agitation. |
the public finds its great trouble due |
to the excessive charge imposed by the |
private monopoly for the service rem |
cered. The monopoly Is perhaps not |
TO be blamed for loading the traf- |
&c all il viii bear; but We are not con
termed so much with fixing blame. as
relieving ourselves of an intoIerable
e-nditiOn. Although we rank highest
. the world in postal service. we are
lith Of i countries in telegraph rates:
aid Of the three countries on earth
charging more for a local phone call
than the letter rate, the United States
. pre-eminent, for in our cities the
locsl rate is as high as. and some
Tines twice. the street car fare when
New Zealand sends line kilograms per
7pita against our II in a year; when
II Norway IL is 1.4S, in France 1.65
and even in Switzerland LIS. IL is time
We hunted for the jam that IS evident
y choking up the stream OF possible
traffic II a telephone conversation,
re find that while Germany makes a {
rate Of - cents for 300 miles. Austria
Hungary and Italy make II 80 cents.
and Sweden only 10 cents. the average
ior continental Europe being 30 cents;
he Bell rate IS $50. six times the
European average =
To be az all satisfactory. telephony &.
must be a monopoly. Too many :
cities have been burned by expert :
nsnts with competitive lines 10 re-
sare argument on this point Com :.
pe,ition does lower the rate, and often :
2rgsiy, but the consumer must have
'otn phones 70 get complete service, .,
and Is worse on than ever. But such =,
: monopoly is too costly in private :,
asads. where a profit must be made =,
We pay from twice 70 six times normal G,
faies for the pleasure
Will Il Be Cheaper? ig,
Nov the question is, VIII govern in
nent operation be cheaper and as w
sood? continued Mt Lewis. The ar
yereel post success ought TO give some an
cpe; but add 70 this the fact that fu