The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-07
fortified by act of parlia ment, a statute 8

hVttthVu W uNt VI SJututC
so sweeping In its powers that 1t was
used to strangle telephone enterprise
at Its start and stunt it's growth until
the Government took IL over also as
public monopoly In 1912. When the
telephone promoters first sought privi-
leges they contested the Post Office
powers in the courts, but were defeated.
The Government had them by the
throat; II treated the whole telephone
idea as an invasion Of the telegraph
monopoly.
1t was case Of oficialism against
progress and II appeared to the heads
of the telegraph service In the light OF
a duty to throw every possible obstacle
in the way Of telephones which would
bring In an element Of competition.
They exacted the most oppressive finan-
cial conditions that the new experiment
could bear, and they stipulated that
no trunk lines should be established,
that Is, they prohibited all long dis
lance communication. A few years
later public opinion became so angry
over the latter absurdity that the Post
Office authorities established trunk lines
of their own. Then hating. half
hearted long distance service was given
by private and public cooperation.
But the burdens Of the telephone
companies remained SO great that the
service was always decades behind the
nge. The Government, 1t was plain,
would have to free II or acquire 1t.
The latter plan was chosen. The en-
abling act was passed in 1911: the Post
Office was fully In charge in 1912. In
side two years heavy financial loss
accrued. 1t is true that in the report
Of 1928 a surplus of f303,3i3 over
running expenses and fixed charges is
shown. but to offset this the Govern
ment loses annual payments aggregating
f342.541 which the companies made
in license fees for the mere privilege
Of existing, and also whatever profits
had been realized under the mixed ar
rangement for the use Of its trunk
lines. A general revolt against work
piled on them took place among the
transferred employees a few months
ago. In consequence the staff is to be
enlarged and higher wages are to he
paid. In effect 1t is estimated that
there will be a final net loss Of revenue
OF 100000 or more annually and the
public debt has been increased f12.OOO.-
600 by buying out the old owners.
All this might be forgiven II Il con-
splcuously good service were suhstl.
tuted for the old lame one. But Eng
land remains. with the exception OF
France. the most poorly provided coun.
try as to telephone facilities among
the advanced nations. 1t Is admitted
that the Post Office people are doing
what they can amid the tangle Of rod
tape to improve the system, but general
dissatisfaction marks the public atti-
tude. All agree that the working OF
the London telephones Is not compa-
BILE to that Of a backwoods town in
the United States.
Further. looking at the future in the
light Of the past, no one hopes for any
welcome to progressive ideas at the
, hands Of ofiicaldom. When some new
/ scientific invention-say wireless de-
velopment---tendst to supersede the tele-
phone there Is no reason to doubt that
II will be hampered. delayed, strangled
in the interest of the Government mo-
nopoly Just ms the telephone has been
for the last forty years.