The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-01-20
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF. UTILITIES

the postal department is Intimately
known to all, and is, because of the
long-continued public operation, quite
efficiently managed, the National
Public Ownership league is urging as
the next step the postalization of the
telegraph and telephone.
What objection is there to such q
move? The service is so similar to
the present po-tal activities that both
the telegraph and the telephone can
be incorporated with the mail service
without friction or confusion. The
same operatives who now perform
the work would merely be shifted
from one employer to another, and
the expense Of the high-salaried Of
ficials at the top, together with two
arrangements. void be saved.
Nor is the saving in expense of
operation, with consequent lower
rates for service, the only reason for
making the postalization Of the tele-
graph and telephone the immediate
program. Such move is bet CAL
culated to reconcile those who ques-
ton the governments ability to oper-
ate public utilities. Many persons
who recognize the principle of public
ownership hesitate to apply it be-
cause Of the low degree Of adminis-
trative efficiency.
BY combining these closely allied
activities, however-one of which has
reached g. high degree Of efficiency
under public management-a prac-
teal demonstration will be made Of
what can be done. It will then. be
simply a question of keeping on with
the educati on Of the public AMI the
improvement of the service.
Improvement of governmental
service will, because Of it's added re-
sponslblllties. be absolutely necessary.
The spoils of offive cease to be legal
misunderstanding will cease to be legal
tender for the payment of political
debts: The very necessities of the
case will compel the adoption of a.
civil service rule that will attract the
best talent: Hence, instead Of lower.
Ing the efficiency of public utilities in
private hands, the transference to
public management will be the means
OF improving government efficiency.
Persons who feel that the logical So
luton of the railroad question lies in
government ownership shudder to
think of the pork barrels that would
be rolled through congress If the ex-
tensions of roads were left to the
Wh1m of senators or representatives.
Branch lines and stubs would soon be
so numerous in the various congres-
sional districts that they would have
to be put underground in order to
leave land enough for the farmers to
till.
But by postalizing the TELEGRAPH
and the telephone We shall be making
a safe venture; and by the very me-
cessities Of the case we shall be ex-
tending the scope of government
along legitimate lines and in a. way
that will not overtax the peoples po-
htlcal capacity When the telegraph
and telephone have been assimilated
and public opinion has convinced the
politicians that their legitimate activ.
tiles lie in serving and not exploiting
the people, we shall be ready to ex-
tend public ownership to include rail-
roads and other public utilities.
Inc experience Of all other govern.
ments goes to prove that when pub
Tic utilities have been taken over by
the people the service has been i'm,
proved oyer. what it was under private
control.
The time is ripe and the National
Public Ownership league is the
public ownership of public utilities.