The Washington herald., 1918-07-10
WIRE CONTROL
BILL REPORTED
ON TO SENATE
Measure Dealt with by Com
mittee Without Hear
ings Again.
MAY ACT THIS WEEK
Probability Of Bill Passing
Soon Predicted; Some
For see Blockade.


Defying the opposition. the Senate
Interstate Commerce Committee
again yesterday reported out the
government telegraph and telephone
ownership bill without granting
hearings to anyone interested, ex-
cept that President Carlton. of the
Western Union. made . statement
in the morning.
There was bitter criticism last
night of the committee action by
many Senators. but the majority Of
the committee holds fast to the ar
gument that the bill should be hur-
ried through the Senate. and that
hearings We're not necessary.
Makes Mysterious Hints.
Senator Smith. of South Caro-
lima, chairman of the committee,
made mysterious hints that the
wires were being used to aid enemy
spies.
Suppose" he said. "a U-boat
lurking along our coast should re-
ed wire. 1 say suppose But 1t
might happen.
In a very short time there may
come a development that will con-
vince the country that taking over
these lines is the best thing that
has been done since the war be-
gan"
The vote upon reporting the bill
out was: For-Smith, Underwood,
Salisbury, Lewis, Poindexter. Myers,
Thompson. z; against-Gore, Po-
merene, kellogg, 3. All of those
voting are Democrats except Kel-
logg and Poindexter.
The committee heard President
Carlton in the forenoon. There was
an executive session later on. and
Senator Underwood moved to close
the hearings and report the bill. Sem
ator Pomerene objected, moving that
Cabinet officers and individual tele-
phone companies be heard. Sena-.
tor Gore moved that the employees
be sheafd. Both these motions were
defeated. and the Underwood motion
prevailed by the vote of to ..
DIsappreyes Indenniteness.
Minority Senators in particular
expressed themselves strenuously.
One COMMITTEES member who voted
against the Underwood resolution
called the action high handed and
autocratic." He, like some others.
voiced earnest disapproval of giving
the control of the wires to any un-
named person.
TT will be Postmaster General
Burleson," he said, "and it means an
extension of his present powers of
and aaninnaOa will ha
worse than ever"
One of the big fights made upon
the bill will hinge upon the suppo-
sition that the Postmaster General
will be in command. Desperate ef-
forts will be made to change the bill
introduced by Senator Lewis of Illi-
nois, SO that a commission of pres
ent officials of wires will form the
control instead of a cabinet. "Secre-
tary of Telegraph and Transporta-
tion," as the Senator suggested.
Administration Senators hope the
bill will get through this week. but
opponents, such as Senator Cummins,
of Iowa, predict a three weeks block
ade. Senator Smith said yesterday
it might take two weeks and 1t
might pass before Friday night" Sem,
ator Penrose is credited with an
intention to try to recommit the bill
again today so that hearings will
be forced. Monday he secured re-
committal on the parliamentary point
that half of a majority of the COM
mittee had not passed upon the bill.
but this was corrected yesterday when
ten members attended the meeting.
Cannot Understand Fight.
st can't understand why this fight
for hearings is made on a resolu-
ton merely enabling the President
to take over the lines" said Senator
Smith yesterday afternoon. 1--WE
didn't have any hearings on the bill
enabling him to take over the rail-
roads. We passed that, and later
came legislation dealing with the
compensation, and so on.
After this bill goes through, It
is probable other legislation will be
passed, just as in the case of the
railroads.
s"I should not be surprised IL in
side of six weeks after this resolu-
ton goes through the government
has not selected what lines 1t wants"
At this point a suggestion by the
Senator again led to the deduction
that the government wished to guard
against spies.
1T might be only few lines"
he said, leading into an enemy coun-
try. but 1T would be necessary to link
up the lines in this country with
those lines. The subsequent legisla-
tion would have to be modelled after
1t was found what the President con-
sidered necessary for the war needs" I"
Some of the prohibitionists are
charging the Interstate Commerce
Committee with forcing this telegraph
bill to the floor SO that prohibition
may be side-tracked." was suggested
to Senator Smith.
WELL" he replied. "that Is absurd,
but which is more important, pre-
venting people from drinking whisky,
or guarding the nation from Hun
spies?"
No Demand for Hearings.
The Senator said he had not re-
ceived any demand for hearings; In
fact. had received but two letters,
one from President Carlton and the
other from President Mackay, of tho
Postal. and both related to compensa-
ton.
Mr.. Carlton told the committee m
executive session that the threatened
strike by telegraphers was nothing
more than a bugaboos' He said his
employees were satisfied Most Of his
time was taken up in explaining the
technical aspects of his company,
such as capitalization. physical valua-
tion and bonded debt. He said he
was mot convinced that government
ownership Of the wires would prove
. success. -.s-- - -.-..z-<lk