The sun., 1918-07-10
SENATE COMMITTEE
ENDS WIRE HEARING
Question of Taking Over Lines
Halted After Carlton
Testifies.
MINORITY MEMBERS MAD
Charged Attempt Is Being
Made to Make Burleson
Press Censor.
Specidi Despdtch 70 TEE SUI.

Company, whose testimony was ADVERSE
the Senate Committee on Interstate
Commerce voted to 8 to-day against
continuing hearings on the proposed au.
thorization to the President to take over
control Of the telegraph and telephone
lines as a war measure.
This action was taken over the
vehement protests OF the minority and
foreshadows an exciting legislative bat
tie In the Senate.
A bitter wrangle ensued to-day in the
committee room. In the course or whicn
the majority members were charged with
the most high handed conduct not only
IN refusing to proceed with the hearing
but on the ground that to proceed to the
Senate without having first elected the
reasons upon which the executive de-
mand for action was predicated, would
mean the precipitation Of a bitter fight.
While members Of the Senate know
that the President means to take over
the telephone and telegraph lines az soon
as the legislation Is passed and intends
TO base his action on imperative military
needs. there Is growing resentment at
the demand for haste unaccompanied by
any more explanation than has been
given as to the reason for It.
LEAK" Rumors In Circulation.
While rumors Of dangerous "leaks"
are In circulation nothing definite has
come to the Senate regarding this.
The committee members who voted for
the immediate report OF the resolution
without further hearings and following
closely on the informal appearance Of
President Carlton were Senators Smith
IS. C), chairman: Underwood (Ala.).
salisbury (Del), Lewis 1ll), Thomp-
son (Kan) and Myers (Mon), Demo-
Gratis. and Poindexter (Wash), Repub-
lican-
Those opposed were Pomerene (Ohio)
and Gore (Okla.) Democrats. and KEEL
!ogg tMinn.). Republican.
1t was asserted in the Senate to-day
by opponents of haste in this legislation
that the President is accepting without
question the judgment OF Postmaster
General Burleson as to the necessity
and desirability Of the Government as
Stunning control Of the telegraph and
telephone lines. Some of the Senators
went so far as to suggest that back Of
the movement Ia the known prediction
Of the Postmaster-General for wider
scope for his supervisory activities with
relation to communications in general
and the press In particular.
1t was commended by some OF those
who will make a bitter fight on the floor
that to give the Postmaster-Generalu I'M
disputed control of the telegraph and
telephone lines would make that official
undeniably the master Of the entire
newspaper telegraphic service of the
country. with complete authority to CEN
sor every teleRraphic communication
and to establish by indirection a sys-
TEN OF censorship against which Con-
gress had already registered its OBJ
lection.
No Requests for Hearing.
Chairman Smith said after the meet
ing Of the committee that as chairman
he had not been asked by any Of the
parties interested to accord them the
opportunity Of appearing. He said he
had received letters only from President
Carlton and President Mackay of the
Postal Telegraph Company. and that
the latter had only said that his COM
pany was interested In the methods &c
he employed In assuring It ade-
quate compensation for the properties
TO be taken over.
In the committee meeting Senator
Kellogg moved that the representatives
~ Independent telephone lines OF which
there are nearly 5000. should be called
with a view to ascertain!ng what they
Wished of the arrangement. This was
voted DOWN. Senator Gore moved that
the telegraph and telephone operators
be heard from and this motion also was
defeated.
Senator Underwood. who had moved
an immediate favorable report on the
resolution In the exact form In which
II passed the House. thereupon renewed
his motion and the chairman proceeded
with the roll call.
This brings the battle over wire con-
troll directly before the Senate. The op-
Cnents of the resolution promise a
nlibuster while they await the reas-
rembling Of the Senators now out of
Washington. 1t will be charged by op-
ponents OF the measure that no cogent
reason has yet been given by the Ad-
rrirstration for this assumption OF the
control Of the lines at this time and
the Administration leaders In the Sem
ate will have the demand for an ex-
risnation thrust home.
The original occasion for immediate
seizure of the telegraph lines by the
Government. a threatened strike. IL will
be asserted, is no longer a threat.
To Use Cartons Testimony.
The testimony of President Carlton
will be cited to show that at no time has
the telegraph company, of which he Is
the head. contemplated the strike with
missivings. On the point of efficiency
and secrecy Mr.. Carlton told the commit
tee to-day that the Western Union Com
pany alone during the last year trans
mitted more than 150,OO0,000 messages
without leak of any sort.
President Carlton expressed much
doubt as TO the advisability of the pro-
posed legislation, although he did not
combat the proposed legislation with
particular vlgor.
He said the only trouble from labor
which the companies had ever had occa-
sion to consider came not from within
the operators organization. but from
outside sources He said the Western
rnicn raised no objection to the union
ization Of the telegraph operators and
other EMPLOYEES OF the corporation. II
the unionization took place within the
ranks Of the operators and others II was
their business and that the company would
not combat II In any way, He believed
that there were no points In controversy
which could not be settled as between the
operators and the company provided
meddesome outsiders did not dictate the
policy OF the operators or attempt &c
influence them against their own better
interests and that OF their employers.