The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-02-25
UTILITIES BOARD
DEFERS DECISION
ON PHONE CASE

Continued from First FaEe.l
Dent Wilson. although there WAS to
dsN- no official admission thai me
President has approved the steps thai
have been taken and vet 10 be taken.
II the Governments wishes are fol
lowed bv Congress one OF two things
viii happen:
Either the entire plant OF the
chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company will be put under Govern
nrsnt ownership or control or the
Government will take over and oper-
ate all Of fits own business in this city.
establishing a large Government
switchboard for that purpose. leaN-
ing the telephone company to handle
private business only. Private calls
10 Government agencies Will nrst
first have to be shifted &" the Govern
nrent switchboards before receiving
attention, the object being TO give
the Government complete control IN
the handling OF its work and secrecy
as TO war business.
Government officials In sympathy
with the plans Of Postmaster General
Burleson today stated two strong
reasons why the Government must
soon act on the telephone situation
here: One, that the country Is at war,
with the telephone lines in the hands
OF private business, which does not
offer the safeguards the Government
would provide against its secrets
being conveyed to the enemy by
spies; second. that the service given
the Government, although preferen-
tiAl over private subscribers, is any
thing but satisfactory.
Since the telephone service here
went to the bad the Government has
=Tr fnAfArfanry- and will
continue to suffer, in the estimation
OF officials. It cannot longer put up
with the delays in business and the
dangers of its war work leaking out
through channels over which it now
has little or no control.
Utilities Cannot Act.
The Utilities Commission can deal
only with the rates TO private sub
scTibers in Washington. 1t has no
jurisdiction over the rates to the Gov
eminent The commission has an
nounced that it believes the company
entitled to relief, out whatever relief
il gave would be wholly at the ex-
pense OF private subscribers without
the Government contributing an extra
penny. The conditions in Washing
ton are due to the war, practically
all the heavy expenditures which the
company claims it has made and will
make being due to increased Govern
mental activities.
Mr.. Burleson's plans, II approved by
Congress, contemplate that the Gov
eminent will improve the service of
the company largely for its own
benefit and protection, for which ii is
willing to pay, the private subscriber
having no additional burdens imposed
on him. That means business men
and individuals. Should Congress fail
TO give the authority to be asked the
people Of Washington will be com
PEELED to bear the burdens and to pay
extra for a service that has been
sbominable
In its application to the Utilities
Commission and in frequent repeti-
tions by its attorneys through the
recent hearings. the company has as
serted that it is not now asking for
largely increased financial relief 1t
is simply seeking at this time to re
duce the number of calls. II scorns
the dollar just now, but later on will
probably take mp increased rates.
Attorney Sylvan emphasized this to
the commission Saturday afternoon,
In his final remarks. The company
declares ii Is to have a big deficit
this year. but it's first aim is to give
the people better service. which is
says 1t can do IL the people are pre-
vented from using the telephone
lines so freely. the prevention being
10 greatly reduce calls and get about
as much money out OF il as under
the present unlimited service most
subscribers pay for.
The Postmaster General, whose ex-
perts have Investigated the situation
here, make the positive statement, on
the authority Of a Cabinet officer
himself. that the Government can
continue the present arrangements in /
Washington without additional ey-
pense to the people
Mr.. Burleson has long favored Gov
eminent control OF both telegraph /
and telephone lines as being closely I
AFFILIATED to the postal service. He
thlnks II should be done in normal |