Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-06
URGES J.. s. TO GRIP
WIRE AND TELEPHONE
Postmaster General Also Reports
Plans for Mail Routes in Air
Years Business Big.
Ry Assoc lated Press 10 Every Evening

government control. should become gov
ernment owned at the concl,isIon of peace
and the expiration of the provisions Of the
act under which the utilities are now con-
trnlled. Postmaster General Burleson
declares in his annual report made public
YESTERDAY The war has shown that gov
cru,ncnt ownership of telephones and
tclcgraphs us not only sound. sbut prac-
tirahle," the postmaster general says, IN
repeating the recommendation which he
has made in previous reports but which
hr makes for the first time, as head OF the
government agency controlling the land
communication lines.
T. : OWNERSHIP PRACTICAL
e"Thc experiences as a result of the
present war. have fully demonstrated that
The principle Of government ownership
of the telephones and telegraphs IS not
only sound, but practical, Mr- Burcson
saws. 1T has been necessary as war
measure for Congress to consider legis-
lation authorizing the President To assume
control of the telegraph and telephone
systems Of the country While such con
troll Is TEMPORARY and will exist only until
the ratification of the treaty OF peace, yet
the hest results can hc obtained only
when these systems are owned by the
Governments made part OF the postal
establishment. and operated solely with a
,.:av - serving the public and not making
Drotit- or guaranteeing returns the
investment Government ownership OF
the telccraphs and telephones should no
longer to- delayed. and the action ot
congress in tins matter j. urgently recon-
mcu,ird
On.ration. Of the Pc-tot'icc Depart
,ne,t f,r tn, fiscal year ending last June
II -
c,n,rsc~ al Sla. 90 79S, according 10 tho
rcnart approximately SH,500.0N ad
ditionat waS ra.d over - the Treasury
fr.i, the increased Ie.etal charge imposed
4,r v.,r revenue Total revenues ot the
drpartmctt from Ill sources during the
y,..i are gwen ae So, ,a15,.M2, against
<,,14 20. rs for tie, laI. fiscal wear.
o-.I expenditures Grc reported at S3-f,-
>.%.-2S. against $50, >2S9lN IN 1917.
p,,r.pard,ns he increased postal rates
effective November ,. under the war tnT
Lll. tie actual norcae, N Paot"l Sfrvl e
hil> .n,ss duruiE the Sear Is pAerd ~ J.
Ia-r cent. " hilc expenditures increased II
icr cert.
PLANS MAI. ~ AtRrlANtS
Nj BurI,,ou i,r 'hr first 'Imc. 2
teIs.h rciNr~ uTru the rs. - a.irptancS
.ar i,Stni-~lan ol mas. aI.I government
taVpt u tftltk> 'af IL III '.tti'''ii i't'''
,,r',I- pe,>t routes. di~ losing plans f7r
wide extension ii beth facilities Hc also
fen,.7.. ill., previously ma,le recommends
,iar, that po>tnlt~ter> nov tpponfCd by
tin, PRESIDENT. should be Sclcctcd under
connective ,Iy!l service examinations,
and that the four assistant lNostu3>terS
General and the purchasing agent shosh
Ic likewise selected
The volume 81 mail carried during the
year was greater than ever before SAYS
the report. in commenting upon ne s'ir-
ulus earned, which II places ~ more than
iouhI,, he greatest proht ever found ny
tie department preVeu>lN v ~
activity IN private business not atone grew.
hlt the government itScli put 2 tre
mcnd9us burden u matter INTO the mails
from the now efforts whieh i haiid up
PastnnaSters and no>futflcc facliitlcS allkc
ucra used for war service that ranged from
the registration cf aliens T. the sale 4
thrift stamps and government bonds
1-R,,r- - SUBWAY FuE MAI
Among new facilities til, report asks
IS an appropriation 3. >l.7bhNh t'T tn
coa>tructlon OF a subway between the
Grand Central station IN New ork AMI
he lcnnsylvanI Terminal otficc re-
nlacinc tn. discarded system oi pncu-
,natlr tubes, and devised - relieve con
ce>tion Aurhorit1 Is al>o asked fnr The
establishment Of a guaranty fund within
ne d,,rl3rtueuf With whr-h - bond en-
l,lov,> handling money nj valuable>
fhi> i advacatct ~ ..taeve pr milIm
rh1re,s uhlch 4rt -aid lN tho rcPirt =
j.c .sArcsSiy, and a.,a - eltnlnate delay
and di-flcGl'l
rcal.nt w.tl @rorupa;nt II delays in
mail t. ~.ldIer, IL france, Doth before
and after tic fn4l :, r1lr, Was taken over
H. the srny. Air Rurio~1 n report say
that much ot i Wa dlc 70 he handling
al mail hv orderlee ln military strNlcc
Perhaps tn most serious OF those de-
lav> arose from the attitude o. the mill
t.ry authorities i say who declined
10 reveal IL civilian postal organization,
the Whcrcair,Lf~ q mIutary units. II
Inarv cases unt:l thtlT location had been
discovered =, the eucuIv Their was at
Il good deal of trouble in obtaining motor
transport and IL one time the military
an horitics under1oot 10 take from the
ia,sial stations b, small details o. en-
li~tcd men who were assisting III the work
ou the ground that they were needed ioT
purely military service.
In the United States I23 branch post
offices wer. established ii camps and can
7oIhncuts 10 deliver mail 70 the troops
oen~nr>hp boards were established al
,parl1 all ports os ext from the nItfd
states It'd connection with military opera
tions and TOO employees were engaged in
cen,oring approximately l25.o00 pieces Of
mai daily during most Of the period cover
% by lie rcport
VIDE AERIAL ~EHyICF Tt-AH>Lp
\ vcrr VIDE extension u tho aerlal
mail service has teen planneg the report
indicates and outlines ard gwen for four
routes two OF 1bicL extend outside tine
nited States.
The trunk lBnc and feeders decided
upon f0r lie aerial mail, the Postmaster
General says, afder describing experiment.
al operation be wecn Washington, New
York and Phila ielphia, under the pre-
sent program ard
II New IorH to san Francisco, with
feeders from "a Chicago 10 st. Lotlls and
Kansas CITY. tb( Chicago 10 II Paul and
Minneapolis tc1 Cleveland TO Plttsburg.
z Boston to Ikcv West, with feeder.
from al Philadelphia 70 Pittshurg lby
Washington 70 Cincinnati. n Atlanta
10 Ncw Orleans.
b Key West VIA Havana to Panama
= Key West, via the Vest Indies, to
south America.
ONLY AWAITS ENOUGH PLANES