The Alaska daily empire., 1918-12-10
but practical" Mr. Burleson says.

but practical" Mr. Burleson says Tt has been pecessary as wal measure for Congress to consider legislation authorizing the President | to assume control of the telegraph and telephone spstems of the coun | try. While such control is temper 1 ary, and will exist only until the ratification of the treaty of peace yet the best results can be obtained | only when these systems are owned | by the Government, made part oi | he postal establishment, and operat ed solely with view to serving the public and not making profits or guaranteeing returns on the invest ! ment. Government ownership of the telegraphs and telephones should not Congress in this matter is urgently recommended"
 Operations of the Postoffice De- partment for the fiscal year ending last June 30 resulted in surplus of receipts over expenses of $19,- 979,799, according to the report. Ap- proximately $44, ,000 additional was paid over to the Treasury from the war revenue. Total revenues of the department from all sources during he year are given as $3S8, 75,962, against $329, ,726,115 for the 1917 ifs eal year. Total expenditures are reported at $324, 4,S33,728, against $319,- S38,71S in 1917.
 MT Burleson for the first time officially reports upon the use of lirplanes for transmission of mail, md Government-owned trucks for the operation of rural parcels-pOst routes disclosing plans for wide extension of both facilities. He also renews his previously made recommendation
 hat postmasters now appointed by
 he President should be selected un- Ter competitive civil service exam nations, and that the four assistant postmasters general and the purchas- ing agent should be likewise select ed.
 In the United States, 123 branch pza. offices were established at camps a.a can .onlaen.s to deliver mail to
 no trc~p3. Censorship boards were 3sta: 3hl, at nearly all ports of exit f-s.l the United States, in con Eectiol Fgith military operations, and l.GGJ employees were engaged in ccnsoring approximately 125,000 piec es of mail daily during most of the period covered by the report.
 A very wide extension of the aer- al mail service has been planned, he report indicates and outlines are given for four routes, two of which }xtend outside the United States.
 "The trunk line and feeders de cided upon for the aerial mail" the Postmaster General says, after de icribing experimental operation be- ween Washington, New York, and Philadelphia, under the present pro gram are:
 q. New York to San Francisco, with feeders from (a) Chicago to 't Louis and Kansas City (b) Chi cago to St. Paul and Minneapolis. 'c) Cleveland to Pittsburgh.
 "2 Boston to Key West, with feeders from (a) Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. (b) Washington to Gin :lnnati. Co Atlanta to New Or cans.
 g Key West, via Havana to Pan anna.
 A. Key West, via the West In- lies. to South America"
 "The Postoffice Department only lwaits the day when the aircraft production of this country can more
 han supply the needs of our own army and those of our Allies to make effective the program for aerial mall that I have directed to be put into operation as speedily as the war con ditions will permit" MT Burleson continues. He points out that planes for the overseas service decided up on must be powerful, fitted with wipeless, and of special construction, and declares that the commercial advantage resulting from the expect ed reduction in the time of commun- ication between South and Central America will justify the expense.