The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-03-13
Fails in Other Countries Than
Europe as a Review of Their
Operation Shows.


In approaching a problem such as
the agitated acquisition of this couu-
try,s Telephone system by the federal
government. it is but natural 10 re-
view the experiences Of other nations
In the conduct of great public. uttIi-
ties. and. from such observation and
study, to weigh the probability OF
our own government successfuI cop
ing with an undertaking which has
been pursued by such unfortunate
ana pronounced Developments in
England and in every continental
country.
inertia which characterizes the opera
ton of the telephone and the tele-
graph under public ownership ana
xvl,FeI has been the subject of many
recent dispatches from the other side,
Is not confined merely to Europe. For,
depiorable and even ridiculous as
have been portrayed the conditions
which attend the furnishing of tele-
phone service by the British, french
and other European governments, we
need not cross the ocean to md IKE
examples or the disastrous results
which have followed the public acqui-
sftion and attempt at operation OF the
great public utilities.
At least three of our own states,
North Carolina, Maryland and Texas
have made a trial of public owner
ship. Each attempted to operate
railroad. But after nifty years OF po-
liticaI mismanagement, North Caro-
lima leased its line to private COM
pany. Maryland went a step further
and sold what was left OF the Western
MARYLAND to the GouIds some years
ago.-and Texas, disallusioned and
disguised. is now trying to unload It's
road upon some private company.
a -fo
were these railroads financial failures
but they proved to be utterly made
uuate In the furthering of public ser
vice, as the states themselves viii
testify.
Our federal government has. IN
like respect, experimental with the
operation of D. public utility-the tel
epraph system in Alaska. During
the year of 1911, the last on which
authoritative reports are at hand. It's
financial statement showed substap-
tiaI deficit of SIS. 500, and this, not
withstanding the fact that it's mile
for-nliIe charges are 2SO per cent or
private owned companies in this sec
ton of the country.
Our Canadian neighbors have had
their disappointing experiences, TOO.
The province of Manitoba, in Canada,
not so many years ago became en-
Unused with the idea of public owner
shin of telephone lines-extravagan
promises of more efficient service and
lower rates having been doled out by
the political party which stood behind
the project. The telephone plant OF
the Bell company In that province
was taken over by the government,
and-just as was promised-the
rates were reduced. But Manitoba
dream was short lived. For 1t was
soon realized that the reduced rates
were quite insufficient to operate the
system without a substantial loss,
and the subscribers to the service,
who had been hoodwinked into be-
lieving that public ownership really
promised them increased benefits,
were In a short time confronted by
a vastly less efficient SERVICE coupled
with a rate increase of 25 per cent
and the charges are still mounting.
1t would seem to be the rule of his
tory that no nation can be developed
into a good business man. Perhaps
merely the modern systems of party
politics stand in the way. Yet 1T Is
more likely that the dismal failure
of every nation in the conduct of Its
important business undertakings are
attributable to the ever increasing
requirements of government which
leave all too little time for the per
Torrance of those exactly public ser
vices Wnlcn NO" Fe4ulIe CT nc -, -
itiative ability and high organization
of private enterprise.
A prominent senator once made the
statement-without denial from any
competent authority that our nation,
which wasted three hundred million
dollars a year, or more than third
of it's revenues, in the legitimate
functions of government, would east
Iy waste it's funds in even greater pro-
nortions were it to go into business
and with its management subject to
the review and decree Of the men en-
Were the promised benefits of pub
| lie ownership of the telephone lines
substantfated by the experience of
other nations, the people of this coun-
try might perchance be disposed to
pocket the loss or waste which is in
cfdent to government operation, but
-. n r,I.ecadants rnfaNnra HE to