The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1918-12-27

When the war emergency meas
ure" was passed authorizing the
President to take over the wire lines
of the country, every mothers son
in the Senate who advocated the pas
sage of the bill declared it as be-
lief that the President would not ex-
ercise the power conferred upon him.
It was argued that the legislation
was needed to deal with labor prob
lens relating to the threatened
strike of the telegraphers. Postmas-
ter General Burleson insisted that
the interests of the country de-
manded the passage of the wire con-
troll; and it did not take long for
him to bring the telegraph and tele-
phone lines under his control. The
war went on, and the armistice was
signed, and no one through it all had
ever discovered anything with refer
ence to the operation of wire lines
that constitute war emergency"
The President finally went before
Congress, and announced that the
war is over 1t was a little late
in the day, but Mr.. Burleson seized
the cable lines just the same. The
Commercial Cable Company protests.
and resists it's properties snatched
from it by the unceremonious pro-
cesses that have been employed. The
company has engaged Charles Evans
Hughes as associate counsel to VIM.
w. Cook, and the Postmaster Cen
eral is in for a merry scrap in the
courts.
Government ownership of the tel
egraphs and telephones should no
longer be delayed" Mr.. Burleson
says in his annual report, which is
fresh from the Government printery.
He adds: action of Congress in this
matter is urgently recommended"
There can be no objection to Mr..
Burleson expressing these views in
his report, for as matter of fact
he has constantly reiterated this
same opinion in previous years. But
that the processes pursued towards
wire properties under the Postoffice
were not contemplated
when the legislation was before the
Senate, is borne out by the fact that
no less an authority than Senator
Lewis declared it to be understood
that the President did not desire to
exercise the authority sought in the
resolution. At the same time one of
the leading officials of the wire COM
pany of the United States in speaking
of events at Washington declared
that "the question of Government
ownership was not discussed" Mr..
Burleson himself urged "the passage
of the resolution, in order that the
President may act, if necessary to
their interests of the coun-
try during the prosecution OF the
war"
When this was all going on last
July, the intimation was resented
that radical members of the Demo-
cratic party with Mr.. Burleson as
their leader, were eager to have the
lines brought under Government con-
troll and operation during the war as
a forerunner to a fixed peace policy.
The Commercial Cable Company
takes the position that the manner
in which they were annexed" is
plainly illegal, and they do not pro-
pose to submit to the confiscatory
employed by Mr.. Burleson.
It is pointed out in their complaint
that the action of the Postmaster
General disurbs treaties with foreign
nations, inasmuch as the company's |
properties stretch alike to European
and Asiatic nations. 1t looks as
though Mr.. Burleson in his effort to |
Use the translantic cables as his but
ions for the Government ownership |
wire garment, is doing a poor piece
If tailoring. The company evident |
Y believes that the Postmaster Cen |
,ral has bitten off a bigger chunk |
han he is going to be able to get
away with.