The Washington herald., 1914-01-19
|SAVING0F MONEY
TO PUBLIC Seen
Advantage Claimed for Fed
eral Control Of Telegraph
and Telephone.
BURLESoN GATHERsDAT
Resolutions Asking Infonat;ea on
Sabiscs Pissonholsd b House
PostoGee Connittes.
iBURLES0N GATHERS DATA

Postmaster General Durissou has In
his posssssiou figures wh3eA II 10 claimed
show how Tie government osn take ovss
the telephone and tslsgEavh companies
and operate them st aving Of . II pe,
cent 10 the public.
He has also . tsbIe Of sarnings intend.
Cd to show that the government whfle
making . one-third cut in prices. e6h opsr.
ate the telegraph and telephone lines at
. greater profit on capital invested than
now Is being made under private own
ership. ~
These data represent ten months Of
research and correspondents with prac-
ticaIly every civflised country in the
world.
The washingtou Herald learned yester.
day on the source Of the highest au.
thority that this information, vitality es-
sential In the consideration Of govern
ment ownership Of telegraph and tele-
phone lines. has been ignored by the
House Postofhce Committee.
The data which the Postmaster General
has acquired. have been the subject OF
several resolutions on the floor Of the
House. Advocates Of government owner
ship Of telegraph and telephone COM
panies have introduced measures. call
ing upon the Postonice Department for
all Information supplementary to that
contained In the annual report
siaetrackeA by Committee.
These resolutions have, without ex-
ception, been referred to the Postoffice
Committee. There they have been pigeon
holed and there they remain at the
present time.
Postmaster General BurIeson. It is
stated, believes telephone and telegraph
lines can be taken over at an initial
cost of 900 and that the surplus
made by the Postofnce Department on
the parcel post during the coming fiscal
year viii be sufficient TO pay the per
cent interest on the transaction.
The Postmaster General, according TO
bis friends. is a believer in the use of
any surplus arising In his department
for the Improvement Of the postal serv-
ice.
Mr. Burieson's data are held to show
that the telegraph and telephone COM
panies at present are grossly ovcrchars-
ing for the service they render. It Is
pointed out that in the United States one
telegraph message is sent for every eight
sent In New Zealand. Furthermore. It il
stated that 10 per cent Of the physical
valuation OF the telephone and telegraph
companies Is In their buildings, which the
government would not have to acquire.
Eliaiaation Of Red Tape.
Government profit and the one-third
saving to the American public could be
accomplished by the elimination Of red
tape and the economic distribution of
work among the employees Of the Post
ONCE Department Stamps. II Is stated.
would take the place Of the long reports
now required on messages. Officials In
the Postoffice Department would be given
supervision over the work. The employees
Of the department also would be utilized
wherever possible.
That sentiment In the committee was
adverse to the presentation of Mr.. Burie-
sons data was made clear, say the Post
master Generals friends. when 1t was
taken by the committee concerning the
postalization Of telegraph and telephone
companies for more than year"
Cost Relatively Small.
II is claimed the data disprove the
idea, prevalent in Congress, that the
proposition Is SO gigantic that 1t cannot
be attempted in this country. The infor-
nation includes figures showing that the
department would take over the workable
apparatus Of the companies and consoli-
date II into one service at Q relatively
small cost.
II is understood among other things
the suggestion is made that government
bonds be exchanged for the stock now in
the possession of the companies.
Congressman favoring the immediate
acquisition of telephone and telegraph
lines declare that II this information can
be brought to light they will use 1t in
Congressional fights next year and will
commit Democrats to the proposition.
Members Of the House Postofice Com
mittee declined yesterday to make any
statement as to the piseon-holing Of reso-
lutions calling for the Postmaster Cen
erals statistics.