The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-07-31
Government IN
CHARGE TONIGHT
Takes Over Telephone, Tele-
graph and Radio
Systems
NO ORDERS YET AS
TO LOCAL SERVICE
Telephone Pay Stations to Be Emptied
Tonight to Keep Private Ownership
Accounts Separate-Inventory of
Property Taken.

Property Taken.
At midnight tonight private owner
ship of telephones, telegraph and radio
lines will go out of existence, govern
ment control will go into effect for the
duration of the war and Postmaster
General Burleson will take up his duties
as federal director of the lines, but so
far as Brattleboro patrons are con
cerned they will not be aware of any
| change, as the service viii be continued
as heretofore, no orders for change of
| service, labor or rates having been re-
ceived at the local offices of either the
telephone or telegraph companies or at
the postofice
| While the change of ownership
necessarily will alter many phases of
| the business it is not expected that the
smaller branches viii feel the effect of
the changes as quickly as doubtless will
be the case in the larger centers. There
/ seems to be unity of opinion that
whatever changes are made will come
gradually, as has been the case in the
government control of the railroad lines
4 or the United States.
A large amount of work will be neees-
sary in the bookkeeping departments
as all moneys for service up to midnight
will revert to the privately owned con-
Germs, while that received after that
hour will belong to the government.
The telephone company will be
obliged to collect tonight from all pay
stations so that the receptacles will be
fnx Ia, 4aI
eminent service goes into effect An in
ventory of the office supplies, furniture
and fixtures also will be taken in order
that the government may know what Of
fee furnishings are due the private
concerns when government control
ceases. It was said at the local office of
the New England Telephone & Tele-
graph company today that no orders
regarding proposed changes in service,
labor or rates had been issued
Manager S. f. Mccarthy of the
Western Union Telegraph company s
branch here said that no orders had
been received by him either from the of
fee of the division superintendent or
, from the head office, and that business
would be carried on under the same
! conditions and on the same basis as
heretofore until such time as special
orders might be received.
At the office of the Postal Telegraph
: company it was stated that no orders
of change had come in.
In an interview Postmaster NJ J.
Moran stated that he had received no
information relative to the federal con
troll of the lines of aerial communica
tion and that as soon as any orders were
received which could be made public he
would be glad to inform the citizens
, through the columns of The Reformer
This statement by President Theo
s dore n. Vail regarding the telephone
! situation was issued yesterday:
e !" am satisfied after my conference
: with the postmaster general that it j.
ls his intention to maintain the wire serv
. ice at the highest possible efficiency
conserve and protect the property tha
n it may be returned to the owners in a
I good condition as received, and to pa,
2 a compensation for its use that will b.
y just and fair. Until more and the full
est consideration can be given to ques
tions everything will continue as in tn
past.