The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-15
Government Fights
For Ownership
Representative Moon Begins Discus
sion of Administrations Claim to
Telephone and Telegraph
Systems.

Washing ton, Dec. 1.-THE admin
ership and operation of the telephone
and telegraph systems of the country
was launched on the floor of the
house today.
Representative Moon. of Tennessee,
author of the resolution to take over
the wire lines opened the debate with
a speech OF more than an hour show
ing the constitutional authority for
this action and detailing the reasons
which prompted the president to urge
that the matter be laid before con-
gress.
Indications are that the Rapubli~
cans will line up almost solidly against
the resolution and that number of
Democrats viii vote with them Ad-
ministration supporters. however. are
preparing to wage strong ngnt and
hope to be able to put it through
before the Democrats lsse control.
Discussion of the matter today oc-
Cured during general debate on the
postoffice appropriation bill. The
resolution has not yet been taken up
in committee.
THE time has come when congress
must reassume iurirdiction over this
question for the benefit of the people
and take over the lines said Mr..
Moon. "He indeed is foolishly in
elined who thinks there Is an inva-
zion anywhere OF private rights In SO
doing. II Is but an assumptions OF
power Temporarily abandoned and
now proposed to he resumed"
The telephone and telegraph. he
continued. are the prime means OF
communication Of intelligence more
quickly, more expeditiously. than any
that we now have. The nation should
own the wires for that purpose,
The postal system cannot be more
than half developed until these mag
nifieent auxiiiaries are attached to 1t. !"
he sgd. Ds,ssss fsfyafss 81 I%assssssrst
sNentit1ed - every auxiliary that will
give aid 10 the people in obtaining
intelligence. This government dele
gates the powers of monopoly on
this question. We ought to go to the
verge of obtaining the means at least
and the right 10 conway the transrrlAs-
sion OF intellisence. That is done
most effectually through the tele-
phone and telegraph.
This is proposition for the de-
velopment of department under the
constitution and to provide ii with the
Observation-Disclosures To which it is en-
titled to make It a perfect power in
the interest of the people. Control OF
the means of communication is a
monopoly that under the constitution
belongs tn the government.
The government merely has been
tclerating the ownership OF the wire
lines by private interests. Mr.. Moon
declared. He referred to the law Of
1865 which allowed the government.
after FIVE years, to take over the
lines at an appraised value to he
fixed by board Of FIVE.
The telegraph companies then rec
ognized that they We're seeking to in
wade the field of federal jurisdiction
on the question OF the TRANSPORTATION
Of intclligence, he continued.
THE congress recognized that fact
Therefore when certain powers were
conferred upon the telegraph compa-
MES giving tn private corporations a
pirt Of the power 80 the rovcrefgn
possesses, II reserved what?
we find in the third section OF the
law OF 1855 power conferred to take
over telegraph lines as an HdJunct to
the post-office department"