The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-06
NEXT GREAT FIGHT
TO GET WIRE LINES
Plan for Government Acquisition
Will BE Proposed by Admin
istration Leaders.
IN A3EYANCE FOR SOME TIME
Members Favoring Ownership
Point to Success OF Parcel
Post as Example.
Especial to Tho Times.Dispatch !

Washington. April 5.--Although tho
subject is kept In the buck aground at
present. the biggest fight OF the next
session Of Congress- viii centre around
The administrations plan to enact lcgis-
lation looking 10 government acuui-
Siton or the telephone and telegraph
Ines OF the country
y Is certain that The plan will ba
.It"n up by administration leaders
hotn 81 and ont or Congress- postfnas,
yer NtneIal Hnri"s"n pnrposely l"f, tho
81 nee n nbe%anco p"nding the pas
sage ot thu Alaska government rail
road bill. but with that settled. tho
"","y - paN,u Tor H"ccping extension
OF the government ownership idea.
majority OF tho present Cabinet
fnvora r0vcrnmcnt OWNERSHIP Of ma
tional public utilities Among these
hra chased hpstmastcr General Burie-
neli ana EIyan. in nidltion' q strong
5"ui 'Went .<ists In Congress in favor
:" 81 ,nlhi|h-7'"ly "a ing over the tele-
phone ono graph facilities.
Menhcrz favoring government own
eishlp point I" the parcel post rs an
ehInpl" OF what Congress can do II
ls expected mat tho opposition which
parcel post VIII not DO 30 manifest il.
the case OF tho telegraph and tciephona
sYstcu There Is before the senate
IN resupna; o resolution introduced
h% senator Fletcher. an elaborate re-
' port prepared ~ tho committee OF ,ho
Daniel Z. Roper. NJ O chance ana :
G. Coons IN which the following spe-
CHIC recommendations arc made
/ That Congress declare Il govern
rcni monopoly over all telegraph tcle-
phone and radio communication and
such other means for the transmission
~ Intelligence as may hereafter de-
vclop
? What Congress acquire 10y pur
chase ~ this tiIue, al appraised value
ne commercial telephone network, cx-
ccpt farmer lines.
3 That Congress authorize The Post
naStcT-ficu-Tai 10 issue In his discre-
tlcu. and under such regulations as n,
unhy Prescribe rcvocaolc Licensees for
me & Grafton, b. private Individuals
.sH"e'"ttors companies ana corpora
tons, OF tho telegraph servtcc ana such
i,'' - or nc Wlnlh"nc service as may
nc acquired 10y the government
No Imincdlntc Operation.
Is not planned that the severn
'nent Immediately operate Mi line,
unn.er hes. SUBSCRIPTIONS 1t IS proposed
finally wiped OUT by craIu;.I tnI,,,S
over Of the licensed concerns
The coramittec advances the arru-
uent thti the United states IS the only
country In The world which has lctt TO
pr.vate enterprise tho ownership and
ppetauon OF telephone ana telegraph
Ms '"ir#reph plants ~ This country in
'hclu4ed about sfi.peo 'ullcs OF
OF wire
The canit9liza,ion Of the land wires.
,.E SEATED. l. estimated al Sf5u.Upp. 800
- The o,"pr wires and submarine cables
"e.c ingiracd tu.s sum would jump
70 S--p,uC1.UeQ
,,s1 ,"'l .is; zhoH t,at n 1912 thgro
phone Wire 81 operation Ia tlis cOuu-
ify serving SO. 400 telephones about
LOU 9pp in les III this were intcrurban
"nh pnS distance wires and the re-
I ir"h4eE about l5,ioo,oOc miles. served
inc cry ;nd town exchanges.
Tic cnpttalizatlon OF the long dls-
torco aud toll lines represents approxi-
.n'iely. s2oo9onooo. and tho capitali2e-
ii"n ~ the entire comm cvctal network
!ucludlrE exchange service. toll and
ionE distance lines, approximately
IS estimated thai The cost TO tho
government would be less than tho
appraised value. since il would be nm
aeSir abIo 70 purchase the real estate
holpings or tho telephone coulpanies
such as exchange and office buildings.
Advocates OF the plan hold that tho
government VIII have no dinicuIty I'm
15nancing the project-much less in
Canal