The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1918-12-21
POSTMASTER GENERAL BURLESON ASKS
CONGRESS TO BUY ALL TELEPHONE AND
TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS OF COUNTRY
Sweeping Slash in Phone Rates Under
Government Control

Postmaster General Burleson, in a letter to
Congressman John A. Moon, chairman Of the
House committee on postoffices and post roads,
has declared unqualifedly for government own
ership and operation of the telephone and tele-
graph systems Of the country as permanent
policy.
Mr.. Burleson says the government can &C
quire the wire systems without the appropri-
alton of a dollar and can pay for them out Of
savings made through the elimination Of dupli-
cations in plants and operating expenses.
He adds that to turn back the wire systems to
private control now would result in serious loss
to investors and in detriment to service. He
declares that the function of transmitting in
telligence for the public must necessarily be
monopoly, and that this monopoly must be
exercised by the government. The wires. he
says should be operated with the postoffice
Representative Moon has introduced joint
resolution in Congress to make permanent the
existing government control and possession of
the telephone and telegraph systems.
Postmaster General Bureson, in statement,
has announced sweeping reductions and changes
in long distance and toll telephone rates The
statement says in part
GA night service rate which is one-half the
day rate, is established between 8: 80 and II
p. m. Between midnight and 1870 a. M the
night rate is one-fourth the day rate These
are greater reductions in night rates than have
ever been made in any country, and doubtless
will be extensively used, especially for social
and family purposes. A person might talk
from San Francisco to New York for about 81
whereas the day rate is approximately $16..
Il station to station service is established
such as now exists in the balance Of the world
that is, when connection is established with
mans house office the opportunity to con-
verse is provided and the station to station rate,
which is the basic rate, applies and is payable
whether the particular person desired responds
or not. This rate up to twenty four miles is at
the rate of cents for six miles, and for greater
distances cents for each eight miles, or about
6A mills a mile
''The distance is computed by airline methods
and not by pole line or public highways. The
airline distances are commonly about 100 miles,
when the others would run $50 miles, y x x
1T requires about two and one-half times
as much work to establish connection with
particular person than the station to-station
service. Hitherto the rates have been the same
for both kinds of services nothing being paid,
failure of the telephone institution to secure
the particular person. X
I'm many large sections of the country the
smallest toll rate has not been less than Is cents
Under the new scheme for short distances the
rates are reduced to cents and 10 cents for the
cheapest form Of service The person can talk
five minutes compared with three minutes
now or in some cases only two minutes or one
minute.
Free toll areas where the exchange rate was
designed to cover the free service or a low
charge therefore are not affected by this order"