The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-06

Washington, Dec. 6.---TeIephore and telegraph lines of the country, now under government control, should pe- come government owned at the con Clusion of peace and the expiration of the provisions of the act undIC which the utilities are now controlle@, Post master Burleson declares in his an- nual report made public today. The war has shown that government own crship of telephones and telegraphs 'is not only sound but practicable, the Postmaster General says, in re- beating the recommendations which s he has made in previous reports but which he makes for the first time as head of the government agency con- trolling the land communication lines. The experiences as a result of the present war have fully demonstrated that the principle of government own ership of the telephones and tele- graphs Is not only sound but practl- cal" Mr Burleson says. Tt has been necessary as a war measure for Con- gress to consider legislation authoriz- ing the President to assume control of the telegraph and telephone sys- tems of the country. While such con- trol is temporary, and will exist only until the ratification of the treaty of peace, yet the best results can be ob- tained only when these systems are owned by the government, made part of the postal establishment, and operated solely with a view to serv- ing the public and not making profits or guaranteeing returns on the in vestment. Government ownership of the telegraphs and telephones should no longer be delayed, and the action of Congress in this matter is urgently recommended"
 P. O. Department Receipts.
 Operations of the Post Office De- partment for the fiscal year ending last June 30 resulted in a surplus of receipts over expenses of $19, ,979 79S, according to the report. Approxi- mately S44 ,550O 900 additional was paid over to the Treasury from the in creased postal charges imposed for war revenue. Total revenues of the department from all sources during the year are given as S3SS, 1875, ,9S2, against $329,726, 115 for the 1917 fiscal year. Total expenditures are reported at S324, S33, FPS, against $319,SSS,71S in 1917 Disregardtng the increased pos tal rates effective November under the war tax btll the actual increase in postal service business during the year Is placed at 4.47 per cent, while expenditures increased 1.56 per cent.
 AirpIanes for Mall Service.
 MT Burleson for the first time off, cially reports upon the use of afr planes for transmission of mall. and government-owned trucks for the op- eration of rural parcels-post routes, disclosing plans for wide extension of both facilities. He also renews his previously made recommendation that postmasters now appointed by the President should be selected un- der competitive civil service examin- at1ons, and that the four assistant postmasters general and the purchas- ing agent should be likewise selected. The volume of mail carried during the year was greater than ever be- fore, says the report, in commenting upon the surplus earned, which 1t places at more than double the great est profit ever found by the depart ment previously. War activity in pri- vate business not alone grew, but the government Itself put a tremendous burden of matter into the malls from the new efforts which 1t built up Postmasters and post office facilities alike were used for war service that ranged from the registration of alienf to the sale of thrift stamps and gov ernment bonds.
 Among new facilities the report asks Is an appropriation of $1,500,00 for the construction of a subway be tween the Grand Central Station 1T New York and the Pennsylvania Ter minal office, replacing the discarded system of pneumatic tubes, and de vised to relieve congestion. Authorit! is also asked for the establishment O a guaranty fund within the depart ment, with which to bond employe banding money and vaIuables. mi is advocated to relieve premium charges which are said by the repor to be excessive, and also to eliminat delay and difficulty.
 Dealing with complaint of delays il mail for soldiers in France, both be fore and after the mail service wa taken over by the army, Mir. Burle sons report says that much of it wa due to the handling of mail by order lies in military service.
 Perhaps the most serious of thes delays arose from the attitude of tn military authorities" 1t says. 'wh declined to reveal to a civilian poste organization the whereabouts of mil tary units, in many cases until the location had been discovered by th enemy There was also a good de; of trouble in obtaining motor tran! port, and at one time the nII!!tar authorities undertook to take from tt postal stations the small etails enlisted men who were assisting the work on the ground that the were needed for purely military SC, vice"
 In the United States, 123 branch DO offices were established at camps ar cantonments uo deliver mail to u troops. Censorship boards were e abolished at nearly all ports of ex from the United States, In connectiC with military operations, and l, 500 en ployes were engaged in censorlng al proximately 125.OOO pieces of mail du ing most of the period covered by u report.
 A very wide extension of the aeri mail service has been planned, Il report indicates and outlines are give for four routes, two of which exteI outside the United States.
 The trunk line and feeders deci5.
 upon for the aerial mail" the Pos master General says, after describil experimental operation between Was
 ington, New York, and Philadelpht
 under the present program are:
 T. New York to San Francisc