The Washington herald., 1918-03-08

1t would be unwise, just as suggest
ed in the editorial columns of this
paper, for the government TO own and
operate the telephone system at this
time.
In the first place the service could
not be improved through government
al operation. There might be tenn
porary increases of efficiency. here
and there. but in the long run nothing
would be gained in this direction.
This is one very potent argument
removed for such operation. But it is
not all. The cost OF service very
probably would be kept at either the
present level or else an advance
would have to be made.
For there would be numerous in
creased costs of operation, under gov
erpment ownership. which are not
met with under the present owner
ship. Moreover. very valuable source
of tax income would be removed, as
well as all taxes upon various items
which enter into private telephone
operation. There would be no gain
here.
So il the service could not he i'm
proved. without making great expen-
ditures of money, and II the price
could not be greatly reduced. what,
pray, would be the use Of trying gov
ernment ownership? These are the
only two considerations to be given
attention by people who are puzzled
over the matter. And this, too, in
spite of the very alluring arguments
which some of the pro-ownership
men make in other directions.
The telephone industry is not such
an industry as can yield best to own
ership. There are public utilities
which can gain immensely in this con-
nection. but the telephone Just now
appears not to be one of them This,
due to the fact that the telephone
first. us more than a community af-
fair, and, second. to the fact that
large numbers of people are employ
ed by 1t, which brings a peculiar Ia
Dor factor into the equation.
Public ownership, in the Judgment
of many men who have been connect
cd with II, in their home communities.
fnds the community the ideal unit in
which to try it out. And the ideal
utility to try 1t upon is the utility that
operates only in that community.
BureaucratS have urged time and
again that certain measures taken to
Congress for action should be passed
Just as they were written, and that
discussion of them by the member
snip was to be tabooed il possible,
But we have observed that the great
er share of these "pluperfcet" meas
ures We're always strengthened by
congressional scrutiny and amend
ment. And the more important the
measures were the more important it
was that Congress focus attention
upon them and gaze at them from all
angles.
AS we suggested some time ago.
the needs of the farmers for labor,
and the fact that farmers were tax :
en- ruthlessly in the draft, have
borne fruit. Members, of Congress
nave discussed the matter in for
NAL speeches, and the attention of
the War Department has been cali
ed to the fact that new policies
must be adopted or the country dis
tricts Will be in a bad position for
the seasons agricultural activities,
IL Is high time for action by men
who know the situation. If the
men who are attending to the mat
ter do not have the necessary in
formation they should confer with
the governors of the agricultural
states and with the men in Con-
sress who represent those States.
But they should not take action on
their limited supply of information.
The bill allowing American SOL
diers to accept foreign decoration
TOT meritorious services should be
brought out of the House Military
committee and passed. There is
no reason. why our men should not
be allowed such honors as they may
earn from other governments. The
men appreciate them and want to